ATLANTEAN KODEX – The Golden Bough

Do you miss the feeling of the old Manowar albums? Do you want to hear a story or a tale in the spirit of a fantasy world? Do you long for a well-done, classic-style Doom Metal album? You will get it all here on the debut album made by the young German Epic / Doom Metal band, Atlantean Kodex. Their new album, The Golden Bough, sets a new standard on how to infuse good epos with Doom Metal music.

The Metal scene, aside from various old acts (or new acts struggling to do the real thing), almost forgot what the true meaning of classic Doom Metal is. With the emergence of this band, the “old story” seems interesting and addictive with an impressive production that will ignite one’s heart via a well-crafted guitar sound forged in the haze of the 80s. However, what’s more extraordinary in the band’s release is the vocal line. It can be recognized that Markus Becker, the band’s current vocalist, ensured that this debut epos will be an interesting story-telling experience. With a semblance towards Manowar’s fine vocalist, Eric Adams, Mr. Becker’s voice maxes out the level of the whole band’s effort. At times, the passages on several of the longer tracks tend to repeat themselves, and although there were some tough and inspiring riffs, Becker’s top notch chanting enhanced their value. It can be inferred that the music on this album is less important compared to the vocals.

As briefly mentioned above, what is a bit bothersome, however, is the repetitive nature of the tracks. Even though this is an Epic Metal album, which quite understandably would include a steady line of riffs and song constructs, some of the tracks could have been a lot shorter in favor of offering a more varied, wider division of tracks. Another concern lies with some aspects of the production. The guitar melodies, drums, and vocals seemed to be emphasized less in contrast to the rhythm guitars that seem to be intensified.

Overall, The Golden Bough made Atlantean Kodex reach practically the same level of many classic Doom Metal bands that once reigned in the 80s and is trying to make a comeback today. With the addition of the warrior type figure and quite inspiring lyrics, this epos stands tall with strong numbers as “Disciples Of The Iron Crown”, “Fountain of Nepenthe”, “Pilgrim”, and “The Atlantean Kodex”. In a field where English and American bands once stood as a strapping force, the Germans have indeed arrived to compete …

Tracklist

1. Fountain of Nepenthe (Journey to the Island of the Blessed)
2. Pilgrim (Through the Ruins of Europa)
3. The White Goddess (A Grammar of Poetic Myth)
4. Temple of Katholic Magick (Trinity of Steel)
5. Disciples of the Iron Crown (From the Grey Twilight)
6. Vesperal Hymn (For a long-gone Friend)
7. The Atlantean Kodex (Commanding the Iron Battalions)
8. A Prophet in the Forest (Through Years of Longing)
9. The Golden Bough (A Study in Magic and Religion)

Lineup

Markus Becker – Vocals
Manuel Trummer – Guitar
Michael Koch – Guitar
Florian Kreuzer – Bass
Mario Weiss – Drums