The Teutonic Terror tour is coming to Toronto in two days, 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

9. Obscura

8. Tankard

7. Running Wild

6. Blind Guardian

5. Grave Digger

4. Helloween

3. Destruction/Kreator/Sodom

The American Big 4 might get more hype–but give me Germany’s Big Three any day.  These three thrash titans have all been cranking out albums since the 80′s, and while Destruction’s mid 90′s output was completely forgettable (and almost completely forgotten), and Kreator’s kinda tuned down the aggression in recent years, I’d still call their catalogues more consistent than Megadeth’s or Selloutica’s.  (Don’t even get me started on Lulu…)  It’s hard to choose a favourite among so many great tracks, but “Mad Butcher” is one of the best, most powerful songs ever written about chopping people up, so here you go.