Allusion #2: Otep - T.R.I.C.

For my second allusion I will continue using references to the Old Testament in heavy metal. The artist I am going to take a look at for this one is Otep Shamaya, namesake and front-woman of the alternative metal band Otep. Her politically charged lyrics use many allusions to not only the Bible, but Hinduism, Egyptian and Greek mythology, and many other forms of religion and antique literature. The song T.R.I.C. is on their first album, Sevas Tra, which is “Art Saves” backwards. The abbreviation stands for “The Revolution Is Coming.” The song is an aggressive proclamation of her unique ability to melt your face, so to speak, and simultaneously stimulate your mind. There are five Biblical allusions I will address from this song

The first allusion is in the line “Destroy like Revelations! Styles be liquid and flow like irrigation,” in the first verse. This is an obvious reference to the prophecy of destruction in the Book of Revelation in the New Testament. With so much of it going on in the book it's hard to pick just one passage to refer to, just read the whole book, but I wouldn't recommend doing so right before bed time! One particularly destructive passage deals with the breaking of the Sixth Seal and the destruction of nature (Revelation 6:12-17).  Anyway, this line fits into the song at a time where she is comparing her lyrical styling to a battle in which she will bring about total annihilation of weaker, less meaningful lyricists. This can be seen with the next line “So make the preparation, defeat is bittersweet, it's all you'll be tastin'.”

The second and third allusion are in the same line of the song, “Words burn with passion, mentally enhancin', I'm David to Goliath or Delilah to your Samson.” This appears in the second verse, and once again makes her lyrics synonymous with destruction. In 1 Samuel 17 we can read the story of how David killed the giant, Goliath in battle. Likewise, Judges 16 tells how Delilah brought about Samson's demise. I believe here she is making a statement about going up against popular music. Her music was relatively unheard of at the time, but she is saying even though you are bigger and/or more powerful than me, I am still the better musician; I can still bring you down.

The fourth and fifth allusions in the song are also in the second verse:

“I'm callin' your bluff -- is it freedom or death?
we're gettin' it on in Babylon, chokin' on god's breath
the infinite connects true soldiers alive
the tribe will survive when Armageddon arrives!”

God's breath is often used as a symbol of the Holy Spirit, part of the idea of the Trinity in Christianity, as seen in verses like John 20:21-22. Another way to look at this is the idea of the Bible being the breath of God, which can be seen in 2Timothy 3:16.  Either way I feel like she is saying she is being “choked” by living under the rule of Christian leadership when she herself does not believe that way.  Lastly, Armageddon is once again referred to. Armageddon is said to be the site of the last battle on earth (Revelation 16:12-16).  In today's culture, any "end of the world" scenario is referred to as Armageddon.  She is saying that she and her tribe will still be standing when it's all said and done. Once again I take this to be another proclamation of her belief that her lyrical style is superior to most others and will survive the test of time.

All of these allusions fit together to show that she feels her words are superior to her peers in the music industry. She also believes destruction breeds creation, which is why she, being a creative type, uses allusions that talk about destruction, not as something negative, but as a catalyst for creating something better.

PS: I had a chance to interview this artist at the beginning of this semester, which was not easy considering I've been a fan for 10 years and it was my first interview with a major artist.  Regardless, you can watch my mind get blown in the interview:

part one:

 

and part two: