Otep

Hell hath no fury like a person who feels stifled by stereotypes.

Yes, Otep frontwoman and namesake Otep Shamaya brings a feminine perspective to metal with her shrieking, death-metal singing style. And yes, it’s about time somebody did. (It’s also about time an out lesbian commanded the stage, as Shamaya does, in a genre still dominated by boneheads.)

But Otep’s mix of metal riffing with experimental, industrial and hip-hop seethes with two universal principles: Assert what you are in this world and respect creativity as the life force that sustains us. It’s some heavy shit, thanks to Shamaya’s sincerity.

“Warhead” by Otep: