Band: Atlantean Kodex
Album title: The Golden Bough
Label: Cruz del Sur Music
Distributor: Sonic Rendezvous
Release date: 02/10/2010
Release: CD

Atlantean Kodex might sound like a name referring to a band from Spain, Portugal or even Greece perhaps, but nevertheless, they hail from one of the most important heavy metal countries in the world, called Germany.

I’ve just mentioned that Atlantean Kodex is a heavy metal band, but still there are a lot of elements on The Golden Bough which makes me think of a folk and even a rock band, especially when it comes down to the vocals. The vocal chords of Markus Becker don’t typically sound like a heavy metal voice as we know it from Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Iced Earth,… It’s not reaching the almost unnatural high notes, but he has a style of its own. The Golden Bough definitely has some very cool songs, such as the eleven minute lasting "Pilgrim" and "Temple Of Katholic Magic". Atlantean Kodex is a very good band, which would have been very successful ten years ago, but I think it will be hard for them to stand out nowadays amongst all the other heavy metal formations.

I’ll definitely keep checking them out and I hope you will do so too.

77/100

Nick Tronckoe.