Reconsideration: Atlantean Kodex: The White Goddess (2013)

Schizophrenia and Gross Misconduct

It seems joanismylover had reviewer's remorse over his ill treatment of Atlantean Kodex. Now it looks like I'm the only one who doesn't like them.

“A real man is not the one who has a lot of women, it's the one who has one and knows how to treat his right!”* by Naughty Nishan

I found the above quote searching the internets for an appropriate quote to bow down before Atlantean Kodex. Joan is my lover. That moniker would suggest I have a lot of women. I don’t! I’m married! I have one and I hope I treat her right! I don’t know how but a funny thing happened after I submitted my White Goddess “unreview,” citing to the Powerwolf rule. This caused me to rethink the review and this order granting a motion for reconsideration follows.


I messed up. I have no excuses and do not seek them. For context, but not to avoid blame which is rightly attached, I did not listen to The White Goddess in the correct context. On the heels of my Powerwolf review and after a spate of other bad stuff on my personal listening rotation – Shadows Fall I’m looking at you – I did not give these tunes their due. I dismissed them as not metal and impliedly not good. I WAS WRONG.

After the White Goddes unreview, I moved on. Or I tried to. I tried to find another lady, figuratively speaking. Melvins. Spinal Tap. Saxon’s latest. All good. But those damn Atlantean Kodex songs with the really long titles - they appeared – in my head – without prompting. These “epic doom” anthems soared inside my head reaching for the stars, while keeping their understated metal thunder still firmly planted on the ground. “Twelve Stars and An Azure Gown (An Anthem for Europe)” appeared. Themes from the songs popped up and seemed to flow. The hypnotic beauty of the chorus’ and soft acoustic passages lingered in my head.

And so I listened again. I noticed the solos. What solos! And I listened again. I noticed the thunder. What understated thunder! And again. I felt the audio clips from Ming the Merciless? From Churchill? From others? What atmosphere. From start to finish this album now has me hooked, line and sinker. This is my lady and I’m going to try to treat her right. (If it’s not too late).

Maybe you are like me and might dismiss them because there is a lot of metal out there to be listened to. (Lord Dying and Exhumed are “Standing in [my] Que”***) Try this. I read an interview with the band member who writes all the lyrics and structures the songs. He pointed to “Enthroned in the Clouds” as the embodiment of all that Atlantean Kodex strives for. I listened to it again. This is the one with the bells. This is the one with the audio clips. The atmosphere. The choral chants. The solow. The DOOM. This is where it all comes together. I finally heard it. It all clicked. I now love this album. I now rate it very highly and boldly, but undeservedly, ask Atlantean Kodex for forgiveness. I hope they heed the advice not of Naughty Nishan, but of Bruce Lee. “Mistakes are always forgivable, if one has the courage to admit them.” **

4 out of 5 stars.



* http://www.searchquotes.com/search/Real_Man_Admits_Hes_Wrong/
**Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/admit.html#cUzO7gFv2XUO08b9.99
*** Track 10, Saxon’s “Sacrifice”.