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OWLBEAR
Chaos To The Realm

Alone (2023)
Rating: 6.5/10

When I saw the band name and cover art I naively assumed this was some sort of generic stoner rock opus, but I’m glad I was wrong. Owlbear is a Boston, Massachusetts-based band that provides straight up heavy metal not a world away from Iron Maiden and that sort of galloping steel but very much entrenched in the realm of Dungeons & Dragons.

Owlbear are fronted by Katy Scary who at times can boast a rather annoying pop punk cum emo vocal vibe (which I certainly won’t win any fans for saying), but that aside the rest of the band – Jeff Taft (guirar), Leona Hayward (bass) and Estee Slaughter (drums) – bring a rather fluid and often contemporary glint to their brand of traditional metal.

Admittedly this does feel a tad lightweight at times, maybe even rushed, and after a few listens a few tracks seem to melt into one lengthy borderline power metal trundle. However, there are also plenty of moments to note like the fast paced ‘Cult Of The Serpent’, the steadier if somewhat mechanical ‘Tyrant’s Fall (The Death Of The Sorcerer-King)’ and the fiery ‘luz The Old’.

Katy Scary can certainly be a versatile vocalist and has been involved in numerous projects, although for some reason here the vocals don’t always sit right with me, but that’s just my opinion. Even so, this is a solid enough if rather formulaic metal outing that brings to mind a weaker Running Wild or Eternal Champion and the likes in its quest for gold.

Neil Arnold

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