Don't call the five members of Germany's oddly named Atlantean Kodex underachievers. The Golden Bough, the band's ambitious debut CD, takes inspiration from the late Scottish anthropologist Sir James George Frazer's scholarly work of the same name, which explored the notion that organized religion originated from fertility cults. With a sound built to match such an epic thesis, Atlantean Kodex wallops listeners with a mystical blend of old-school prog-influenced metal (think Fates Warning and Black Sabbath), the colossal vision of Coheed and Cambria, and the bombast of '80s arena rock. Gem of a vocalist Markus Becker sings in a clean voice that sends these songs soaring.

Released in late 2010, this is the underground metal album of the year.