Rise, Rebel, Resist

"When we first went out on Ozzfest with bands like Slayer the audiences were very homogenous – I'd look out over the crowd and it really was a closed social club for middle-class white boys. The music didn't seem to cater for people outside of the cone. Heavy music wasn't what I wanted it to be: a place where people outside the norm could find a home and acceptance away from the judgments of other people. But I'm happy to say over the years things have slowly changed. The old cultural mores seem to be breaking down now; at our shows you'll find the front rows are full of girls – the ones who used to stay in the corners, on the periphery, and becoming part of the emotional catharsis of the music. It's a very welcome paradigm shift and I think the diversity of the fan base strengthens extreme music and the scene in general.”

So would you agree that conservatism is breaking down in the extreme music world?

“Look, I think so,” answers Shamaya. “And I can back that view up. When I first wrote the song Warhead – which spoke out against the conservative warmongering of former President Bush – I thought crowds would agree with me. But believe it or not I used to get booed for playing that song. Some years later when people had stopped drinking the Kool-Aid that conservatism works for the working-class we began to get a much better response to that song. So yeah, things have improved.”

If Shamaya seems overly passionate about those outside the mainstream, it's understandable. As one of the few openly gay artists in extreme music she's experienced her fair share of abuse and ridicule. But as she notes, it's not about grandstanding, it's about ensuring inclusion.

“I hate all these labels that keep people apart, and that divide us. When I first started this band I wanted to make music that brought people together, that made us stronger. The greater diversity of voices we have in extreme music, the better. We've all got to stand together – gay, straight, whatever – against the bullshit that this world throws at us on a daily basis.”

Even more controversial than homophobia is the dreaded N-word. So does Shamaya consider OTEP to be a 'nu-metal' band?

“I used to hate that label,” laughs Shamaya. “As far as I was considered the only useful labels were the ones that told you what was in your soup and how to take your prescription medicines. After a while people were using it as a deliberate insult and by that point I thought, fuck it, and I embraced it. You want to call us 'nu-metal'? Well, you're right, we are doing something new, we're progressive metal and proud. When I sit down to write music, I don't think about genre or fitting into artistic boundaries; all that's important is the song and the message. I didn't come here to win a popularity contest. I came here to write music.”

Although OTEP have just released a brand new album in Hydra, gossip continues to swirl that the band are about to pack it all in. Is there any truth to the rumours of OTEP's imminent demise?

“Right now, our future is coming to Australia and kicking some ass,” Shamaya affirms. “The new album, Hydra, is only months old so right now we've got a lot of momentum. So in a sense, this is a time of new beginnings for the band. But as for the future, who knows? I am involved in a number of different projects, although I can't ever see myself not making music. Whether that's done under the OTEP banner remains to be seen.”

Otep will be playing the following dates:

Thursday 25 April - The Hi-Fi, Sydney NSW
Friday 26 April - The Hi-Fi, Melbourne VIC
Saturday 27 April - The Hi-Fi, Brisbane QLD