Unlocking The House of Secrets; An Interview With Otep at Ozzfest in Holmdel, NJ, PNC ARTs Center
Interview conducted in person by Alex Kargher. Pictures provided by Solid PR.

Ozzfest may not be the thinking man’s show, but it is a man’s world. From Ozzy to Halford, and from Zakk Wylde to Phil Anselmo, not only is this a man’s world, but the fan base is about as stereotypically macho as possible. Long hair, no teeth, cut off denim jackets, biker boots…these are not what you would refer to as distinguished gentlemen. Needless to say, meeting an independent and strong female artist at Ozzfest is about as unlikely as Karl Marx and Milton Freedman agreeing on unemployment. Thus the existence of Otep, one of the most brutal vocalists and artists to presently grace the metal spectrum, on such a jock-o-rama tour, is an anomaly of sorts.

Touring in support of its’ second set for Capitol records, House of Secrets, Otep is co-headlining the second stage at this summer’s Ozzfest, coveting one of the few locked time slots on the tour. Somewhere amid the maelstrom of black t-shirts and bad body paint, Otep herself opened some scars for Bettawreckonize and discussed the new record, what it means to be a successful woman in the metal scene, and a bit about politics.

Covered from head to toe in ‘tat-fuckin-toos’ Otep is a stoic and straight-forward individual, needless to say, when you’re writing your subject’s responses down on the back of your question sheet because the beefnecks at the door took your tape recorder, she’s the sort of person you’d like to interview.

“House of Secrets is a celebration of the scars,” Otep waxed in a hunger-starved stream of conscious. “It’s quite terrifying to know the only enemy you have is you…The record rids myself of evil.” From violence and poverty, to oppression and rage, Otep is a baggage claim of suitcases from hell, and House of Secrets is the end result of a tornado blowing through that airport carousel—a naked lunch of her emotions, as she put it best a celebration of scars, or for the optimists, of life.

A combustible construct of a schizophrenic mind, House of Secrets shares Otep’s blood.

“It’s just as schizo as I am. It’s a reflection of what I’m feeling. "Buried Alive," I needed a song to allow me to scream my pain away. "Hooks and Splinters" allowed me to experience hate.”

Coming from an impoverished and violent background, Otep said she was influenced greatly by the writers and artists who chose to live their lives as they wanted. Whether or not these people were instrumental in her decision to enter the boy’s club of metal is neither here nor there for Otep. What is important is that she took the adversity she faced and pretty much said fuck it, I’m going to live my life.

“Misogyny, sexism…the biggest thing,” Otep said bluntly, “is that people don’t think women in metal are aggressive, they don’t expect you to be a soldier in life.” Aggressiveness is natural for Otep, who shreds her vocal chords day-in and day-out while linebackers and Pooh-Bear impersonators converge in the chaos below. No, by no means is Otep passive, and by no means is she anything other than a soldier, and her minions march before her and that infamous effigy daily.

So what is the deal with the pig’s head that Otep erects upon a mic stand, like the shrunken-head warnings of tribes in the movies? While it makes perfect sense as a symbol of big brother and government, it is really does not dig as deeply into the current state of politics as one might believe.

“Our friend made it,” said Otep. “It’s a metaphor for The Lord of the Flies.”

Sure the story of absolute power corrupting absolutely is a stab at the powerful, but it wasn’t the first thing that came to mind.

While Otep did make it apparent that the hate she expelled on "Hooks and Splinters" was not directed towards anyone in particular, not even a group of people, and rather was a personal release to prove to herself that she could hate, the frustrations of her life are animated not just on this one track but throughout the course of House of Secrets. Otep’s ability to flesh out songs with such vibrancy and vim makes her music important. And if it hadn’t been for the struggles she’s confronted, and her aggressive attitude, neither she nor her band would be as provocative and powerful as their latest release and their 30-minute plus set at Ozzfest prove them to be.