Hailing from the PCH, OTTTO is a California-based metal band consisting of Bryan Noah Ferretti [vocals, guitar], Tye Trujillo [bass] and Patrick “Triko” Chavez [drums]. Combining funk and thrash influences, they create music that can adequately be described as groovy punk. With dirty bass tones and speedy drums, OTTTO makes music for skaters, surfers and thrashers alike.
On March 24, OTTTO released their debut LP, titled “Life is a Game”. Their previous releases were their 2020 self-titled EP and their 2022 live album “Locos Live in Venice”, which was a Record Store Day exclusive.
Although the band members are all very young, each of them are insanely talented and well-experienced musicians in their own right. Tye Trujillo, son of Metallica bassist Rob Trujillo, has played bass for most of his life. At 12 years old, he played onstage with Korn, throughout his life he’s played bass with Suicidal Tendencies (like father, like son) and recently he played the guitar on “Master of Puppets” for the iconic “Stranger Things” scene. Since the formation of OTTTO, Trujillo, along with Ferretti and Chavez, have been constantly writing, jamming and rehearsing together (when they aren’t surfing). All three of them are musicians that truly dedicate themselves to the craft.
“Life is a Game” is a well-balanced record, featuring thrashier tracks like “My Pain” and “Skyscraper” as well as more subdued and slower ragers like “Night Howlers'' and “Trip”. This album shows that OTTTO isn’t your average punk band. With their funk influences in their sound, they aren’t afraid to go on longer instrumental bits or make their songs more compositionally complex. Creating sounds reminiscent of a modern-day Rage Against the Machine, OTTTO’s new album is filled with heavy grooves and intricate riffs. Essentially, it’s music to mosh to, and throughout the album, the band’s passion and drive is heard.
“Insane, what you wanna be / I want her coming after me / One taste what it gonna gain / I can’t stop / It all depends, yeah” - lyrics from “My Pain”
OTTTO released a music video for the seventh song on the album, “Dance of the Dead”. Both the video and the lyrics capture OTTTO perfectly. In the song, Ferretti sings,
“The west they’re waiting / They’re coming to kill / The turning the burning / It’s radio’s will”.
Many of their songs feature poetic and highly interpretive lyrics such as this. Is this song a warning that OTTTO is coming for us all? Or is this their commentary on something greater as they vent their frustrations about the world we find ourselves in?
Some songs on the album, such as “Let Them Return”, recall old school metal influences. Other songs, like “Dance of the Dead”, are still heavy and old school but with a more modern twist. Something OTTTO tends to do in songs on this album is write thrashy verses balanced with more melodic choruses. As OTTTO writes music that tends to go more outside the box, they do so with a sharp edginess, as they aren’t afraid to go more melodious or subtle while still maintaining their signature groovy punk sound.
The title “Life is a Game” is both clever and gloomy. Is life a game because it’s so much fun, or because it involves both winners and losers? These two sides of a coin are what OTTTO seems to be going for. They have a fun and wild personality, but there’s something sinister underneath the surface. (Can the same thing be said about surfing?) This playful wickedness can be seen in the album’s closing track, “The Void”. Taking on a more psychedelic sound in the song’s intro with chimes and mellow guitar, the song picks up as Ferretti growls over upbeat and grinding riffs.
In an interview with So What! Magazine, the band talks about how their music is heavily influenced by surf culture and surfing together. Their songwriting, Trujillo says in the interview, is similar to surfing.
“We just kind of let it happen, just feel it out, and we like to keep it really groovy,” Trujillo says. “And I think our surfing brings us together a lot more because when we hang out and surf, we want to go and jam right after.
Essentially, OTTTO makes music to ride the waves and scrape your knees to. “Life is a Game” shows that OTTTO definitely has attitude. While they are here for the good vibes, their music tells you that they’re here to stay - so be warned. Since this is only the beginning for the creators of such “loco grooves”, it’ll be a great ride to see what OTTTO does next.
Catch OTTTO at their future festival dates:
May 19 Welcome to Rockville: Daytona Beach, FL
May 25 Sonic Temple Art & Music Festival: Columbus, OH
Listen to their latest music HERE
Keep In Touch: INSTAGRAM