Owlbear – Chaos to the Realm [Things You Might Have Missed 2023]

A buddy and I have been playing Baldur’s Gate 3 online together since shortly after the game’s release, and because we both have busy lives, we’ve made very little progress. For character selection, we didn’t veer too far outside of our real-life personalities; I opted for the straight-laced, goody-two-shoes paladin, and he went for the curious and adaptable sorcerer who specializes in chaos magic. I won’t give any spoilers, but early on in our game, we came across a couple of owlbears, and our handling of the interaction resulted in my character falling from grace and being henceforth known as an oathbreaker. Given my tender conscience, I was devastated by this development, and I subsequently went in search of a way to restore my honor. For a start, I felt that the least I could do would be to bring some attention to Owlbear, a Boston-based band that specializes in D&D-themed traditional heavy metal. Hopefully, I can redeem myself.

Eldritch Elitist first brought Owlbear to my attention by mentioning the band in the AMG back channels, and it was a tip that I forgot almost immediately. Fortunately, I rediscovered the band independently after being drawn by the name and the album artwork. When I started the album, my heart was immediately set ablaze by “Fiend of Fire,” Chaos to the Realm’s fantastic opener and one of the finest trad-metal tracks you’ll hear all year. The track has plenty of Maiden melody and gallop to complement the band’s Visigoth-ish traditional style, and I’ve been waking up with the infectious chorus running through my brain sporadically for months now.

Chaos to the Realm is pure fun thanks to some strong songwriting and great performances. Vocalist Katy Scary has an incredible voice for the style, the rhythm guitar work from Jeff Taft is top tier (even if a couple of his solos fall a bit flat—one of my minor issues with the record), and Leona Hayward (ex-Skelator, ex-Project: Roenwolfe, Transgressive) keeps managing to bring her strong bass presence to projects that I enjoy. It all comes together on tracks like “Steel at My Side,” a fantastic galloping anthem that never fails to transport me to some far-off battlefield where Steel Druhm and I frolic and giggle together as we cut down our foes.¹ A couple of mid-paced songs (“Tyrant’s Fall (The Death of the Sorcerer King)” and “Iuz the Old”) appear to give some welcome contrast, and the total package is extremely enjoyable.

When it comes to the New Wave of Traditional Heavy Metal, 2023 has been an incredibly strong year. I’ve only managed to cover a tiny fraction of the quality trad-metal releases from the year, but I feel better knowing that I’ve at least somewhat redeemed myself concerning owlbears. Chaos to the Realm is one of the most fun albums I encountered all year, and I will certainly be watching Owlbear’s career with great interest.

Tracks to Check Out: “Fiend of Fire,” “Bastard Sons,” “Steel at My Side,” “Fall on Your Blade”