Jacula
In Cauda Semper Stat Venenum

THE REVIEW

In Cauda Semper Stat Venenum by Jacula is a remarkable case of historical forgery. The album is dated 1969 but the sounds are, upon close examination, artificial and probably date back to the '80s. The late Antonio Bartoccetti, on the other hand, was always a deceiver. His projects have always been shrouded in an aura of mystery, and it hasn’t always been easy to understand what was behind them. It was said that Jacula’s albums were intended for monasteries (I would like to know if it’s true, anyway I wrote a story on the topic). When I reviewed the book “Magister Dixit” he wrote me directly saying I should “dwell more on the subject of demonic possessions”. In fact, according to him, he was in contact with a girl who had undergone an exorcism. In reality, "Tardo Pede In Magiam Versus" (this one is authentic) was sold together with the Jacula magazine, the porn-horror comic. Some claim, even regarding “Tardo Pede In Magiam Versus”, that the quality of the music was mediocre. I disagree with these assertions: at the time the album was very original: there was no drums and the sound was characterized by a beautiful church organ and beautiful gothic atmospheres. The situation changes instead with this "In Cauda Semper Stat Venenum": the Tony Iommi-style guitar sounds are fake and everything smells of deceit. Despite this, I read online reviews that praise it as a masterpiece of sick and sepulchral sound. Couldn’t be more wrong. But it doesn't end here: the lyrics are Italian translations (as attested by some enthusiast) adapted from excerpts taken directly from “In The Court Of The Crimson King” by King Crimson and “Pawn Hearts” by Van Der Graaf Generator, which are later than 1969! It’s hard to believe that Peter Hammill and Pete Sinfield wrote the lyrics for In The Court and Pawn Hearts by translating Jacula's lyrics into English. There are cases of this kind but here we would be beyond ridiculous. The album is, in every respect, a remarkable case of backdating.

http://www.antoniusrex.com/

Here’s a small example:

Jacula, 1969

Solo, sei solo

gli spiriti in coro chiamano,

mi abitano nella notte,

la sola vita che sento è la presenza del divino

Van Der Graaf, 1971

Alone, alone the ghosts all call,

pinpoint me in the light,

The only life I feel at all is the presence of the night.

Jacula, 1969

So che non c’è tempo,

so che non c’è nessuna rima,

veri segni trovatemi

Van Der Graaf, 1971

I know that there’s no time,

I know that there’s no rhyme,

false signs find me.