Jacula
Tardo Pede in Magiam Versus

Tardo Pede In Magiam Versus (1972) by Jacula remains a dark and underground album and, even today, it has not lost its occult charm. The album was sold together with the Jacula magazine, the porno-horror comic. Detractors claim that Tardo Pede In Magiam Versus is a mediocre album. But this is not my opinion: at the time of its release, the music was very original: there was no drum and the sound was characterized by a beautiful church organ and slightly naive but very effective gothic atmospheres. A track like “U.F.D.E.M.” is still a classic today with its “ante litteram” ecological themes. Some believe it is almost a joke but this risks being misleading: the quality of the music is by no means negligible. In the lineup, apart from the late Antonio Bartoccetti (who, despite being an excellent guitarist, doesn’t use the instrument here), the medium Franz Parthenzy, the organist Charles Tiring, and the singer Fiamma dello Spirito are credited. A different story applies to what Bartoccetti considers the true debut of Jacula, namely In Cauda Semper Stat Venenum: it is a striking case of a historical forgery. The album is dated 1969 but upon careful examination, the sounds are fake and probably date back to the '80s. The lyrics are then Italian translations of tracks from In The Court Of The Crimson King by King Crimson and Pawn Hearts by Van Der Graaf Generator, which are later than 1969! If you don’t know it, buy Tardo Pede In Magiam Versus and forget In Cauda Semper Stat Venenum.

The legend told that Jacula's records were intended for religious sects (I would like to know if it’s true; anyway, I wrote a story about this theme published in Dunwich's anthology Morte a 666 giri). The impression is that Bartoccetti truly believed in his research even if he played around with it. The confusion regarding their production is overwhelming to the point that the label Mellow attributed the reissue of the CD Anno Demoni to Jacula when it is actually an album by Antonius Rex. Surely, Jacula managed to embody certain drives of Italian horror culture from the '70s. In their music, one can feel the same vibe as in the films of Mario Bava and TV series like Il Segno del Comando. I believe that Tardo Pede In Magiam Versus is an album that will appeal to lovers of '70s Italian prog and less to those who perhaps enjoy more the later productions of Antonius Rex, which are also very popular among metal fans.