I can’t say that Otep’s new track, “Equal Rights Equal Lefts,” is typical of their sound, and I certainly can’t say that I like it, but there’s value in it if you appreciate what’s going on there musically. Lyrically, the song speaks to equal rights, but mostly for the LGBTQ. The video for “Equal Rights Equal Lefts,” which Otep premiered at Colours Couture’s SXSW fashion showcase, features a preponderance of lipstick lesbians and hunky, chiseled gay men. I might be wrong, but I think this kind of portrayal isn’t exactly the message that should be given.

What do you think?

Regardless, the “Equal Rights Equal Lefts” video and track further solidify Otep’s diligent quest for equality:

I wrote this song to celebrate and empower all people to live their authentic selves, to live their truth, and to fight for their right to exist. Every day the LGBTQ community faces bigotry, bullying, ridicule, and legislative attacks. We are not ‘the other.’ We are your friends, your family, your neighbors, your coworkers, your doctors, nurses, soldiers, and fellow Americans. Simply put, this song and this video are about love and equality.

“Equal Rights Equal Lefts” appears on Otep’s latest album, Generation Doom.

Rock Hard \m/

Otep‘s seventh studio album and Napalm Records debut,Generation Doom, produced by Howard Benson will be released this Friday, April 15th. While pre-orders are available here, you can stream the album in full at Billboard.com. And don’t forget to read the interview while you’re there being schooled.

In support of the new album, Otep has announced The Generation Doom Tour, which has support from Lacey Sturm (Ex-Flyleaf), September Mourning, Through Fire, and Doll Skin. The tour is underway right now and runs through May 28th in Los Angeles, California. A complete list of dates can be found below.

Otep will also be taking part in a Record Store Day Signing Event this Saturday, April 16th, at Silver Platters in Seattle, Washington. The special Picture Disc Record Store Day edition of Generation Doom will be available at the signing as well as all other participating record stores. More info on the signing event can be found here.

Otep Generation Doom Tour:

4/11: San Francisco, CA @ Slim’s**
4/12: Orangevale, CA @ Boardwalk**
4/14: Portland, OR @ Hawthorne Theater**
4/15: Seattle, WA @ Studio Seven
4/17: Spokane, WA @ The Pin
4/18: Walla Walla, WA @ Main Street Studios**
4/19: Boise, ID @ Knitting Factory
4/20: Denver, CO @ Marquis Theater**
4/21: Omaha, NE @ Sokol Underground
4/22: Minneapolis, MN @ Cabooze
4/23: Ringle, WI @ Q&Z Expo Center
4/24: Arlington Heights, IL @ HOME Bar**
4/26: Crest Hill, IL @ Bada Brew**
4/27: Rock Falls, IL @ Longshots**
4/28: Indianapolis, IN @ 5th Quarter**
4/29: Detroit, MI @ Harpos
4/30: Battle Creek, MI @ The Music Factory
5/1: Cleveland, OH @ Agora Ballroom
5/3: Pittsburgh, PA @ Altar Bar**
5/4: Rochester, NY @ Water Street Music Hall
5/5: Clifton Park, NY @ Upstate Concert Hall
5/6: Reading, PA @ Reverb
5/7: Worcester, MA @ Palladium
5/9: New York, NY @ Webster Hall
5/10: Hartford, CT @ Webster Underground
5/11: Baltimore, MD @ Soundstage**
5/12: Knoxville, TN @ The International
5/13: Fayetteville, NC @ Rock Shop
5/14: St. Petersburg, FL @ State Theater
5/15: Jacksonville, FL @ Harmonious Monks
5/17: Clarksville, TN @ Warehouse
5/18: Atlanta, GA @ Masquerade
5/19: New Orleans, LA @ Southport Music Hall
5/20: Austin, TX @ Dirty Dog
5/21: Dallas, TX @ Gas Monkey
5/23: Oklahoma City, OK @ Diamond Ballroom
5/24: Antonio, TX @ Rock Box
5/25: Flagstaff,AZ @Orpheum Theater
5/27: Phoenix, AZ @ Joe’s Grotto
5/28: Los Angeles, CA @ Whisky A Go Go

Lacey Sturm on select dates only**

Rock Hard \m/

Of course, everyone will have his/her own opinion about the song, but for my tastes, if I put on an Otep album, I expect to hear Otep, not Lady Gaga.

Also, with a title like “In Cold Blood” I just naturally think of Johnny Thunders, which is light years better than this.

What’s your take on the new Otep single? Give us a Yell in the comments.

Rock Hard \m/

Otep‘s seventh studio album and Napalm Records debut, Generation Doom, produced by Howard Benson, will be released April 15th. Additionally, as a killer surprise for Record Store Day, the bi-annual celebration of vinyl, Otep and Napalm Records are excited to reveal an Exclusive Limited Edition Record Store Day Picture Disc version of the new album. Only 2,000 copies will be available globally and once they sell out, there will be no more made available. Make sure to head out to your local record store and pick up a copy before they run out!

Otep commented on the album and the picture disc:

This year on Record Store Day we celebrate with a limited edition picture disc! These are so rare and so wonderful. This is one of the most exciting moments of my entire life and I appreciate all of our fans and supporters for sharing this journey with me. Generation Doom is one of my proudest achievements.

In support of the new album, Otep has announced The Generation Doom Tour. The tour features support from Lacey Sturm (Ex-Flyleaf), September Mourning, Through Fire, and Doll Skin. The tour kicks off April 8th in Las Vegas, Nevada, and runs through May 28th in Los Angeles, California. A complete list of dates can be found below.

Otep Generation Doom Tour:

4/8: Las Vegas, NV @ Hard Rock**
4/10: Petaluma, CA @ Phoenix Theater**
4/11: San Francisco, CA @ Slim’s
4/12: Orangevale, CA @ Boardwalk**
4/14: Portland, OR @ Hawthorne Theater**
4/15: Seattle, WA @ Studio Seven
4/16: Vancouver, BC @ Rickshaw Theater
4/17: Spokane, WA @ The Pin
4/18: Walla Walla, WA @ Main Street Studios**
4/19: Boise, ID @ Knitting Factory
4/20: Denver, CO @ Marquis Theater**
4/21: Omaha, NE @ Sokol Underground
4/22: Minneapolis, MN @ Cabooze
4/23: Ringle, WI @ Q&Z Expo Center
4/24: Arlington Heights, IL @ HOME Bar**
4/26: Crest Hill, IL @ Bada Brew**
4/27: Rock Falls, IL @ Longshots**
4/28: Indianapolis, IN @ 5th Quarter**
4/29: Detroit, MI @ Harpos
4/30: Battle Creek, MI @ The Music Factory
5/1: Cleveland, OH @ Agora Ballroom
5/3: Pittsburgh, PA @ Altar Bar**
5/4: Rochester, NY @ Water Street Music Hall
5/5: Clifton Park, NY @ Upstate Concert Hall
5/6: Reading, PA @ Reverb
5/7: Worcester, MA @ Palladium
5/9: New York, NY @ Webster Hall
5/10: Hartford, CT @ Webster Underground
5/11: Baltimore, MD @ Soundstage
5/12: Knoxville, TN @ The International
5/13: Fayetteville, NC @ Rock Shop
5/14: St. Petersburg, FL @ State Theater
5/15: Jacksonville, FL @ Harmonious Monks
5/17: Clarksville, TN @ Warehouse
5/18: Atlanta, GA @ Masquerade
5/19: New Orleans, LA @ Southport Music Hall
5/20: Austin, TX @ Dirty Dog
5/21: Dallas, TX @ Gas Monkey
5/23: Oklahoma City, OK @ Diamond Ballroom
5/24: Antonio, TX @ Rock Box
5/27: Phoenix, AZ @ Joe’s Grotto
5/28: Los Angeles, CA @ Whisky A Go Go

Lacey Sturm on select dates only**

Rock Hard \m/

Pre-orders can be made here.

Rock Hard \m/

Otep makes some of the best hard, alternative, socially-conscious metal out there, in my opinion. Often hauntingly atmospheric, often brutally abrasive, but always kick-ass, and Otep delivers it all on the latest single, “Lords of War,” the first single released from the bands forthcoming album, Generation Doom (April 15th).

Check out the song where it made its exclusive debut over at Loudwire.

Limited-edition pre-orders for Generation Doom are available now in exclusive bundle packages from the webstore, here. Better grab yours quick! Select vinyl editions have already sold out!

Rock Hard \m/

The details of Otep‘s seventh studio album, and Napalm Records debut, Generation Doom, have been revealed. The album is set for an April 15th release and the artwork and track listing have been revealed. Initial pre-orders are available here.

Otep commented on the new album:

Revolution is the opiate of the artist. In pain. We remain. But healed in the sweet addiction to art. We are. For this album, I unleashed my soul and allowed it to soar freely. I communed with the moon in the chrome of its light. I kissed the sun at its fiery height. I waged war with the Nightmare Kings, I sinned with the opalescent women in the roaring seas of poetry. On a cycloptic mare, hooves made of iron and air, I charged into the inky heart of art and roared at the old gods in the ashes of their ruin, ‘You can’t look away, WE ARE YOUR MISTAKE. WE… ARE…GENERATION DOOM!’

Generation Doom Track Listing:

1. Zero
2. Feeding Frenzy
3. Lords Of War
4. Royals (Lorde Cover)
5. In Cold Blood
6. Down
7. God Is A Gun
8. Equal Rights, Equal Lefts
9. No Color
10. Lie
11. Generation Doom
12. On The Shore

One-Eyed Doll Tour With Otep Kicks Off – Dates Added

The The Seduce And Destroy Tour kicked off yesterday as Austin power duo, One-Eyed Doll, hit the road with Otep and Picture me Broken. Since the initial tour announcement, One-Eyed Doll has revealed additional dates rounding out the full run of shows to which they will provide direct support. The 38-date run will bring the female-fronted ticket throughout the U.S. and will wrap up in Los Angeles, California, on April 19th.

Due out this year, Comitted will be the One-Eyed Doll��s fifth independently released album. Produced by multi-platinum, Grammy award-winning producer Sylvia Massy (Tool, Johnny Cash, Prince, The Red Hot Chili Peppers), Committed offers 11 hard-rocking tracks with addictive melodies, soulful, thought-provoking lyrics, and chilling harmonies.

Tour Dates w/ OTEP, Picture Me Broken:

03/08/13 – Sacramento, CA @ Ace of Spades
03/09/13 – Chico, CA @ Senator Theater
03/10/13 – Modesto, CA @ Fat Cat Music House
03/12/13 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Club Sound
03/13/13 – Denver, CO @ Marquis Theater
03/14/13 – Wichita, KS @ The Cotillion
03/15/13 – Oklahoma City, OK @ The Chameleon Room
03/16/13 – Little Rock, AR @ Downtown Music
03/17/13 – Longview, TX @ The Levee
03/18/13 – Austin, TX @ Dirty Dog
03/19/13 – Houston, TX @ Scout Bar
03/20/13 – Beaumont, TX @ The Gig
03/22/13 – Tampa, FL @ Brass Mug
03/23/13 – Jacksonville, FL @ The Roc Bar
03/24/13 – Atlanta, GA @ The Masquerade
03/26/13 – Spartanburg, SC @ Ground Zero
03/27/13 – Louisville, KY @ Diamond’s Pub & Billiards
03/28/13 – Knoxville, TX @ NV Nightclub
03/29/13 – Norfolk, VA @ NorVa
03/30/13 – Springfield, VA @ Empire
03/31/13 – New York, NY @ The Studio @ Webster Hall
04/01/13 – Rochester, NY @ Montage Music Hall
04/02/13 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Altar Bar
04/03/13 – Dayton, OH @ McGuffy’s House of Rock
04/04/13 – Cleveland, OH @ Peabody’s Down Under
04/05/13 – Columbus, OH @ Alrosa Villa
04/06/13 – Detroit, MI @ Harpo’s Concert Theatre
04/07/13 – Battle Creek, MI @ Planet Rock
04/09/13 – South Bend, IN @ Cheers Pub
04/10/13 – Joliet, IL @ Mojoe’s
04/11/13 – Rockford, IL @ Bar 3
04/12/13 – Spring Lake Park, MN @ POV’s
04/13/13 – Waterloo, IA @ Spicoli’s Grill/The Reverb Rock
04/16/13 – Dallas ,TX @ Trees
04/17/13 – Albuquerque, NM @ Hooligans Nightclub
04/18/13 – Phoenix, AZ @ Joe’s Grotto
04/19/13 – West Hollywood, CA @ Whisky A Go-Go

One-Eyed Doll Supports Otep

The groovy little horror-pop punk (and sometimes metal-ish) band, One-Eyed Doll is heading out on tour to support Otep for the third time. Picture Me Broken is also heading out with them to round out the all-female fronted tour.

Not so long ago, we brought you One-Eyed Doll’s video for “Committed,” and we were swept away by the great little short that accompanied it. It truly combines a lot of things we love (as does the band in general), which includes horror, psychological mind-fucking, and catchy tunes – plus they’re embedded in the video game world. And since we dig what they’re doing, and we love Otep, we are a little disappointed that the tour isn’t coming our way so that we could have the opportunity to bring you an interview.

Since forming in 2006, One-Eyed Doll’s rise has been meteoric, opening for such bands as Orgy, Mushroomhead, Cold, Peelander Z, and Wayne Static. The band’s fifth studio album, Committed, is due out this year.

One-Eyed Doll Tour Dates w/ Otep, Picture Me Broken:

03/08/13 – Sacramento, CA @ Ace of Spades
03/12/13 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Club Sound
03/13/13 – Denver, CO @ Marquis Theater
03/14/13 – Wichita, KS @ The Cotillion
03/15/13 – Oklahoma City, OK @ The Chameleon Room
03/16/13 – Little Rock, AR @ Downtown Music
03/23/13 – Jacksonville, FL @ The Roc Bar
03/24/13 – Atlanta, GA @ The Masquerade
03/26/13 – Spartanburg, SC @ Ground Zero
03/30/13 – Springfield, VA @ Empire
03/31/13 – New York, NY @ The Studio @ Webster Hall
04/02/13 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Altar Bar
04/04/13 – Cleveland, OH @ Peabody’s Down Under
04/05/13 – Columbus, OH @ Alrosa Villa
04/06/13 – Detroit, MI @ Harpo’s Concert Theatre
04/07/13 – Battle Creek, MI @ Planet Rock
04/09/13 – South Bend, IN @ Cheers Pub
04/10/13 – Joliet, IL @ Mojoe’s
04/11/13 – Rockford, IL @ Bar 3
04/12/13 – Spring Lake Park, MN @ POV’s
04/13/13 – Waterloo, IA @ Spicoli’s Grill/The Reverb Rock
04/17/13 – Albuquerque, NM @ Hooligans Nightclub
04/18/13 – Phoenix, AZ @ Joe’s Grotto

Rock Hard \m/

The following is my list of 10 depressing songs. If I were to ever kill myself (which I’m not, don’t worry, faithful readers), I would have these songs playing on an infinite loop in the background, and when someone finally found my body they’d have to turn the music off for fear of killing themselves as well. So turn your speakers on, have a listen, and hear the words, kids, not just the music. It’s the words that’ll get ya.

I’ll start off easy with the list of top 10 depressing songs – just to ensure you all don’t start dropping like flies before the end.

No.10 “Footprints on my Ceiling”

Social Distortion

While this song might not be everyone’s idea of a depressing song, it more than moves me every time I hear it. I feel this song with my whole body, not just my ears, and not just my heart. Mike Ness’ raspy, pain-filled voice only adds to the melancholia of it all. You can tell, when you hear him sing, that he’s been through some shit in his life. He’s been to the dark side, and he’s just thanking who-the-fuck-ever is up there, that he came through it all. Maybe it’s because I can feel what he’s feeling when he’s singing this song, or because my own darkness can relate to his darkness, but I’ve never once listened to Mike sing this song and not sobbed.

Verse that kicks my ass…

“There are footprints on my ceiling/I can’t help this fucked up feeling/Somethings wrong, you ain’t coming ’round here no more/Try to get my thoughts together/I think of a time when things were better/This miscommunication is breaking me down.”

I told you I’d start off easy. This list of top 10 depressing songs is only going to get worse as we go along, folks. Grab your helmets and strap in!

No.9 “Mad World”

Evergreen Terrace

This song was originally released by Tears for Fears in 1982 and regained popularity nearly 20 years later when it was redone by Gary Jules and Michael Andrews for the movie Donnie Darko in 2001. Three years after that, we have our cover by Evergreen Terrace. The thing I love most about this song is that the lyrics are so versatile that whether it’s done in a Synthpop/New Wave-y way like Tears for Fears’ original, or a slowed down, minimalistic way like Gary Jules’ cover (which was used in the TV spot for Gears of War), or even a thrashed up Metalcore way like Evergreen Terrace’s, it just works. On top of that, I think we all, at one time or another, felt like that teenager, looking down at the rest of the world and thinking how fucked up it all is. Everyone can feel this song, and relate to it, no matter who you are, or where you come from. We’ve all seen and felt some fucked up shit in our lives.

Verse that kicks my ass…

“Went to school and I was very nervous/No one knew me, no one knew me/Hello, teacher, tell me what’s my lesson/Look right through me, look right through me.”

No.8 “Seize the Day”

Avenged Sevenfold

Oh, God, this song. This song not only pulls, it fucking yanks on my heartstrings. It slices through them like butter with a rusty, serrated-edged blade, and then, just for good measure, it rips the sliced up heartstrings out of my body and stomps on them with steel-toed Docs. M. Shadows, no matter what he sings, sings with a passion that I haven’t heard in a long time. The sorrow his voice is capable of eliciting in this song is almost too indescribable for mere words to convey. I believe the song, I believe the story. I believe it’s me who’s just lost the love of my life, and it makes me want to cut myself with the aforementioned serrated-edged knife. I’m shaken to the bone, every time I listen to it.

Verse that kicks my ass…

“So, what if I never hold you, yeah/Or kiss your lips again?/Whoa, so I never want to leave you/And the memories of us to see I beg don’t leave me”

No.7 “Ain’t it Fun”

The Dead Boys

This song is kind of a cover, in that it was originally written and performed by Rocket From the Tombs, but they never released it. It was first released by The Dead Boys, whose members included Cheetah Chrome, one of the founding members of Rocket From the Tombs, and an original writer of “Ain’t it Fun.” Guns N’ Roses covered it years later. I have a soft spot for depressing songs about drug addiction. I think drug addiction is so glorified in the media, whether it be in movies, on television or even in music, a lot of artists make it look “fun,” but it’s really, really not. So when there’s a song that doesn’t glorify it, but rather makes it real, shows what the true story behind it is, it sticks with me. “Ain’t it Fun” does just that, and if anyone knew what drug abuse does to a person, it was singer Stiv Bators who had to watch not only his band, but the majority of his best friends fall apart from heroin addiction.

Verse that kicks my ass…

“Ain’t it fun when you tell her she’s just a cunt/Ain’t it fun when she splits and leaves you all alone/Ain’t it fun when you’ve broken up every band that you’ve ever begun/Ain’t it fun when you know that you’re gonna die young”

No.6 “Hurt”

Nine Inch Nails

There is a lot of dispute to the meaning of this song. It ranges from the song being a suicide note, to it being about someone who’s finally found meaning to his life, to a song about self-harm. There are even those who argue that it’s about drug use. Whatever the meaning, this is another one of those powerful songs that gets you right where it hurts (for serious, no pun intended). Reznor has such a haunting voice, that even a song that makes me want to slit my wrists can sufficiently creep me out first. Johnny Cash covered this song on his American Recordings album in 2002, and while he just makes me feel the pain of this song, Trent Reznor makes me scared of it as well.

Verse that kicks my ass…

“The needle tears a hole/The old familiar sting/Try to kill it all away/But I remember everything.”

Have you started cutting yourselves yet, darlings? There’s still five more depressing songs to go! Hold on tight!