Otep has unveiled the details for her upcoming eighth full-length album, “Kult 45“. A July 27th release date has been scheduled for the effort via Napalm Records with initial pre-order options now available at napalmrecords.com. Speaking of outing, the band’s namesake and frontwoman Otep Shamaya commented:
“You can expect a complete and total mutiny of the senses on Kult 45. That said, it’s important for fans to know that this record is not just an indictment of Trump. The idea is rather to empower people to stand up and remind them this is our country and we have the power. It’s primarily a rallying cry for people with common sense and good-natured patriots to rise up and know that we own this nation.”
- Advertisement -Although the album is produced well technically, lyrically, it’s very raw. Musically, we explore different genres – we’re trying to reach everyone. I don’t want to be limited to one genre or to be anchored to a particular space where I can only reach certain political minds. It’s important to me that I’m sending a clear and concise message to the Resistance – the people out there bending the barricades and fighting for justice is this country.”
The band self-produced the album at The Lair in Los Angeles, CA and used the same gear they did for their first album, “Sevas Tra“, to help reconnect their sound with that of the group’s roots. The below album art for “Kult 45” was done by PR Brown. As you’ll see in the track listing that follows, the band also covered Rage Against The Machine‘s “Wake Up” for the opus.
01 – “Hail To The Thief”
02 – “Halt Right”
03 – “Molotov”
04 – “Said The Snake”
05 – “Undefeated”
06 – “Trigger Warning”
07 – “Cross Contamination”
08 – “Shelter In Place”
09 – “Boss”
10 – “To The Gallows”
11 – “Sirens Calling”
12 – “Invisible People”
13 – “Be Brave”
14 – “Wake Up” (Rage Against The Machine cover)
15 – “Feral Oracle” (bonus track)
16 – “The Tribe Speaks” (bonus track)
As for lyrical matter, an official press release best sums it up:
“Otep does not hold back on Kult 45, pointing out all sorts of political duplicities and leaving them in their wake. The band explodes on aggressive, adamant anthems like “Halt Right” and “Molotov“, which act as timely outcries against the recent resurgence of hate groups.
Tracks like the in-your-face “Cross Contamination” explore the hypocrisy of the evangelical right giving Trump a pass on his infidelities, and cherry-picking scriptures to fit their ideologies. “Invisible People” approaches immigration issues while pointing a strong finger at Trump, the electronically-charged “Boss” aims to break, fight, and redefine gender roles, and “Trigger Warning” targets rape culture – specifically Stanford rapist Brock Turner -with a vengeance.
“Shelter In Place” investigates the topic of school shootings, specifically. “This song is extremely important to me because it was inspired by the bravery of those Parkland students who formed the March For Our Lives,” says Shamaya. “The outro is, ‘hey hey NRA, how many kids did you kill today?’ because they’ve actively taken measures to make our kids less safe in school.
They want to arm teachers, they want to put more guns in schools and on the street. The song itself isn’t specifically anti-gun, but aimed at the hypocrisy of the NRA and certain belief systems that lose sight of what’s truly important – the lives of our children.”
The album pre-closes with a cover of “Wake Up” – an homage to political music icons, major Kult 45 writing inspiration, and original track recording artists Rage Against The Machine – as well as a unique finisher, “The Tribe Speaks“, featuring recorded voicemails from fans expressing how OTEP‘s music has changed their lives.
“In the voicemails people say they feel empowered, that the music saved them,” explains Shamaya. “They told us that they discovered their identities with our music. There was a girl who said that she considered committing suicide and that our music pulled her out of that. These were all based on last album, and I think that this album will have a similar impact on people. These are so moving – it’s what keeps me fighting. Really.”
“We want to empower people,” ends Shamaya. “This album wasn’t written to only wake people up, it’s meant to carbonate people with the hope and confidence that they can make a difference.”
Current touring plans include:
With Dropout Kings & One Day Waiting:
07/05 Las Vegas, NV – Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
07/06 Salt Lake City, UT – Metro Music Hall
07/07 Grand Junction, CO – Mesa Theatre
07/08 Denver, CO – Oriental Theater
07/09 Colorado Springs, CO – Black Sheep
07/11 Merriam, KS – Aftershock
07/12 Sioux Falls, SD – Icon Lounge
07/13 Cadott, WI – Rock Fest
With Dropout Kings & Kore RozZik:
07/14 Joliet, IL – The Forge
07/15 Detroit, MI – Diesel Concert Lounge
Otep:
07/17 Toronto, ON – The Rockpile
07/18 Ottawa, ON – Brass Monkey
07/19 New York, NY – Gramercy Theatre (feat. Kore RozZik)
With Dropout Kings & Kore RozZik:
07/20 Reading, PA – Reverb – Rock Room
07/21 Poughkeepsie, NY – The Chance
07/22 Buffalo, NY – Buffalo Iron Works
07/23 Warrendale, PA – Jergel’s Rhythm Grille
07/25 Lexington, KY – Manchester Music Hall
07/26 Cincinnati, OH – Bogarts
07/27 Cleveland, OH – The Odeon Concert Club
07/28 Findlay, OH – All American Rock House
07/29 St. Louis, MO – Fubar
With Dropout Kings & Ragdoll Sunday:
08/01 Oklahoma City, OK – Ruins Live
08/02 Austin, TX – Come & Take It Live
08/03 Dallas, TX – Gas Monkey Live!
08/04 Houston, TX – Scout Bar
08/05 San Antonio, TX – The Rock Box
08/07 Mesa, AZ – Club Red
08/08 Los Angeles, CA – Whisky A Go Go
08/09 Flagstaff, AZ – The Green Room
08/10 Tucson, AZ – The Rialto Theatre
08/11 Anaheim, CA – The Parish – House of Blues
08/12 Sacramento, CA – Holy Diver
08/14 Seattle, WA – Studio Seven
08/15 Portland, OR – Hawthorne Theatre
08/17 Fresno, CA – Fulton 55
08/18 Ventura, CA – Ventura Theater
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