Warthur
Playing straight-ahead power metal with the cheese dialled back, Atlantean Codex let themselves down a little on The White Goddess with their focus on clumsy allegory over tight songwriting. Twelve Stars and an Azure Gown (An Anthem for Europa) song, for instance, is a fairly obvious plea for European unity (the stars and gown) of the title being a fairly unambiguous allusion to the flag of the EU) that between its emphasis on Christian heritage (Churchill quotes and references to a New Jerusalem ahoy) and sly references to nasty foreign influences takes a dodgy sidestep in the direction of xenophobia; it also lasts way too long and lacks the spark, enjoyment, and sense of fun power metal usually offers. The combination of po-faced power metal and dubious incursions into clearly political territory is not an inviting one.