Sevas Tra (anagram: "art saves") is the debut studio album by American heavy metal band Otep, released on May 27, 2002, through Capitol Records. The band, then consisting of vocalist Otep Shamaya, guitarist Rob Patterson, bassist Jason "eViL J" McGuire and drummer Mark "Moke" Bistany, wrote the album in one month and recorded it with producer Terry Date at Studio Litho in Seattle in October 2001. Sevas Tra is a nu metal, death metal, and gothic metal album whose lyrics address topics including sexual abuse, incest, organized religion, survival, anger and vulnerability whilst referencing mythology and various ancient cultures.

Sevas Tra received mixed reviews from critics, who praised its songwriting and Shamaya's vocal performances but were divided on its lyrics and presentation. The album debuted at number 145 on the US Billboard 200 chart and number 86 on the UK Albums Chart. To promote the album, Otep filmed a music video for "Blood Pigs" and joined the Ozzfest tours across Europe and the United States throughout 2002. Otep later reunited with Patterson and Bistany for the recording of their fourth album Smash the Control Machine (2009), and performed a concert celebrating the album's 20th anniversary in 2022.

== Background and recording ==<!-- context -->

Otep was formed in Los Angeles in August 2000 by vocalist Otep Shamaya, who sought a new creative outlet beyond drawing and poetry and to bring her art to life through music. Shamaya became inspired to take up music after hanging around with various musicians in the late 1990s, despite her lack of formal training or experience; she wanted to pursue an aggressive direction whilst working with musicians who had a mixture of influences. After finding a manager and searching for some musicians, Otep settled on an initial lineup with bassist Jason "eViL J" McGuire, guitarists Traver Marsh and Dave "Spooky" Aguilera and drummer Mark "Moke" Bistany and performed their first show in November 2000. Record labels had begun courting Otep by the time of their fourth show in February 2001, and the band were offered a slot on the Ozzfest tour after Jack and Sharon Osbourne saw the band open for Cold at the Roxy Theatre in March. The band wrote the album in September 2001, during which time they were working six days and twelve-hours per week. They went in with no fixed ideas, and conceived songs starting with either their music or lyrics; each member would come up with their own parts before coming together and working on arrangements. McGuire highlighted Otep's members backgrounds in jazz fusion, funk, and classical music as influences and felt the album's songwriting stemmed from them "[knowing] ourselves personally".

Composition

Music critics categorized Sevas Tra as nu metal, death metal, and gothic metal. Shamaya disliked many of the labels attached to Otep and preferred to categorize the band as "art-core". Its songs are marked by raw guitars, rhythmic bass and drums whispering, and include references to mythology Sean Richardson of The Boston Phoenix remarked that the song was "as ferocious and ugly as commercial rock gets". "T.R.I.C." combines hip hop and death metal and features references to David and Goliath, Babylon, and Armageddon. "My Confession" sees Shamaya outline her insecurities before exploding into "purposeful anger and exudes strength", according to Amy Steele of The Boston Globe. "Sacreliege" and "Battle Ready" are both hip-hop influenced songs

"Filthee" explores themes of isolation and trauma and references concepts of purity in the Bible; one of its lyrics sarcastically alludes to the Biblical figures of Delilah and Samson, from the Book of Judges. "Menocide" attacks the patriarchy and those who commit violence against women; the song begins with Shamaya criticizing "prostate gods" and later calls upon Lillith, Eve, Isis, Kali, "Jonestown Tea" is about Shamaya being sexually abused by her father, According to Shamaya, the video was meant to get people to understand the band "was really more about music than anything else".

Otep toured Europe as part of the first and only Ozzfest tour of the continent from May 17 to June 7, 2002,

Notes

  • "T.R.I.C." is an anagram for "The Revolution is Coming".

Personnel

Personnel per liner notes.

Otep

  • Otep Shamaya - vocals, backing vocals
  • Rob Patterson - guitar, piano (7)
  • Jason "eViL j" McGuire - bass, backing vocals (6)
  • Mark "Moke" Bistany - drums

Artwork

  • Otep Shamaya - illustrations, pomes, art direction
  • P. R. Brown - art direction, jacket design, photography
  • Wendy Dougan - art direction, booklet design

Production

  • Terry Date - production, recording, mixing
  • Martin Feveyear - Pro Tools engineer, additional engineering
  • Dave Fisher - assistant engineer (at Studio Litho)
  • Floyd Reitsman - assistant engineer (at Studio Litho)
  • Anthony Kilhoffer - assistant engineer (at The Record Plant)
  • Ted Jensen - mastering (at Sterling Sound)
  • Otep Shamaya - executive producer
  • Xen F. Lang III - executive producer

Charts

{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"

|+Chart performance for Sevas Tra

! scope="col" |Chart (2002)

! scope="col" |Peak

position

|-

! scope="row" |UK Albums (OCC)

| align="center" |86

|-

! scope="row" | UK Rock & Metal Albums (OCC)