In November 2024, Otep Shamaya put her equipment up for sale and said she was done with music. That left The God Slayer, from 2023, looking like the last OTEP album. By August 2026 she was telling fans new music was coming, "not in the old genre," dealing with mental and emotional health, growing up queer and "living authentically." A single, "(ISH) I'm Still Here," showed up on SoundCloud that August. Sonic Temple's lineup bills the band's Friday appearance as a "Rare Show."
The band's start was quick. According to Victory Records, OTEP signed after only four shows and without a demo, and Sharon Osbourne gave the still-unsigned act a slot on the 2001 Ozzfest. Sevas Tra came out in 2002, House of Secrets in 2004 and The Ascension in 2007.