The Teutonic Terror tour is coming to Toronto next Wednesday, featuring Kreator and Accept.  Which got me thinking, who are the top Teutonic Terrors–the 10 best German metal bands?  Unlike, say, picking the top Japanese heavy rock bands or the best female-fronted doom troupes, there are a whole lotta options here.  I’ve even come across a couple Top 10 lists where I haven’t heard of 80 per cent of the entries…  Obviously, Germany is known for producing thrash bands in the 80′s and pumping out power metal today, but are there any German doom bands worthy of inclusion, for instance?  Well, I’ll be revealing my list over the next 10 days.  I’ve tried to keep it balanced while still highlighting the country’s strengths, but in the end, it really all comes down to personal preference.

10. Atlantean Kodex

You just can’t rush a masterpiece.  This Bavarian power-doom quartet formed in ’05, but their debut album, The Golden Bough, didn’t come out until 2010.  Though they released a couple of EPs and a split with Vestal Claret in the interim to whet the appetite, it was all leading up to this effort, which landed on my year-end Top 10 list a couple years back.  Merging the epic doom of Candlemass with the overall epicness of the finest German power-metal bands, The Golden Bough really left its mark.  No word on when a follow-up might be released, but I wouldn’t be surprised if we’re meant to wait a while.  In the meantime, check out their signature track, “The Atlantean Kodex.”