OTEP Singer Facing Possible Surgery For Polyp On Vocal Cord

OTEP frontwoman Otep Shamaya has issued the following update:

"So here it is. All summed up. Another tour winding down. Minds changed, lives saved. New album infecting the souls of the initiates. Drip by drip / creating stellar stalagmites for the futurists to ponder and study in awe. In our world of performance, all of life's intensitie can be celebrated and all of life's repressions can be abated. Here we recreate all the myths, legends, religions, archetypes, and moralities that have failed us from their cultural sources.

"It's liberating beyond explanation. it must be experienced to be truly realized.

"In performance, we can reinforce our connections, reinstitute the old gods, and repair the wounds and reap the joy of existing. Through art. Through music. In ritual, we celebrate the sexual, intellectual, and spiritual freedom our spirits hunger for.

"I recently found out that I have a polyp on my left vocal cord. Although terrifying, this is quite common for singers and speakers in all genres. I've had several follow ups with the doc and it's been determined that the swelling in the cords and the size of the polyp had reduced and the prospects for recovery look good. The doc has ordered me to a strict regimen of a variety of meds AND complete silence between shows. This silence thing is very difficult for me as I am quite loquacious BUT it was either that OR drop off the tour. I didn't want to do that and let anyone down, so here I am. However, the doctor has informed me that if the polyp doesn't reduce significantly then surgery might be necessary. This uncomfortable news has given new meaning and purpose to the 'silent treatment.' But I'd rather suffer through silence (and writing bad puns) than have a surgeon slicing puffy membranes off my vocal cords.

"So I want to thank everyone for understanding how hard and how serious this is for me. And also thank you for understanding if I don't speak to anyone after a show or don't respond to you verbally. I wish this wasn't happening. But it is. So be it."

"The 'Breed' video is doing very well and i want to thank you guys for all of your kind words and support. we have another video for 'Confrontation' that will be released sometime after the new year. it's a stylized representation of the song but we will also have a few other surprises pertaining to different versions of the video - but all that will be revealed next month.

"'Special Pets' is one of my FAVORITE songs and will be included on future tours and in future performances. This song is ONLY available via the Best Buy version of the album. The trick is — you have to buy the album in store. It is NOT included in the online version. Sooooooo, if you want 'Special Pets' — go to Best Buy and buy it there. We also included another track called 'Necessary Accessories' (another fave of mine) that tells a multi-layered story of trust, betrayal, and revenge and takes a swipe at the credit scams and judging system that fail the people its supposed to protect.

"I never thought I'd be here, at this place in my life, with the opportunities that I have. Without art, I could've easily fallen into many addictions (sexual, narcotic, psychopathic) or I could have just given up and succumbed to the criminal elements that surrounded me. (I think a lot of you can relate.) But thanks to my muses, to our supporters, my family and friends... this is (to quote Jim Morrison) 'the strangest life I have ever known'... and I love it."

OTEP has set up a new web site in addition to its official site. ThisIsOtep.tv will enable fans to enjoy live web video chats with Otep Shamaya as well as a chat room for fans to directly communicate with the band.

The first live chat is scheduled for today (Monday, December 3) at 8:00 p.m. EST. Otep will ask fans trivia questions about the group's video for the NIRVANA cover "Breed". Every question is going to require users to watch the video numerous times to find the answer which is hidden within the video. Fans will be rewarded with prizes such as copies of the band's new album "The_Ascension", stickers, posters, and other merchandise. Otep will regularly visit this site to conduct impromptu video chats after the "Breed" promotion on Monday. Fans will learn of Otep's visits to the Otep TV site via MySpace bulletins and email alerts.

OTEP's new album, "The_Ascension", sold 10,200 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 81 on The Billboard 200 chart.

Produced by Dave Fortman (MUDVAYNE, EVANESCENCE),"The_Ascension" sees the band challenging itself to avoid clichés and classifications and finding a new landscape of sound and vision. "We said 'genre limits and music fads be damned, let's write music that is important to us and that motivates us," explained Shamaya. "I wanted to write songs we believe in and let nothing stop us from building the album we want to make."