Artist

JACULA / INVISIBLE FORCE /DIETRO NOI DESERTO / ANTONIUS REX

JACULA
Antonio Bartoccetti (guitar, vocals)
Fiamma Dallo Spirito (vocals, violin, flute)
Charles Tiring (keyboards)

INVISIBLE FORCE
Antonio Bartoccetti (guitar, vocals)
Elisabeth d'Esperance (vocals)
Charles Tiring (keyboards)
Peter McDonald (bass, drums)

DIETRO NOI DESERTO
Luciano Iura (vocals, organ)
Luciano Quaggia (guitar)
Antonio Bartoccetti (bass)
Mauro Baldassari (drums)

ANTONIUS REX
1974-77:
Antonio Bartoccetti (guitar, vocals)
Doris Norton (keyboards, vocals)
Albert Goodman (drums)

1978:
Antonio Bartoccetti (guitar, vocals)
Doris Norton (keyboards, vocals)
Jean Luc Jabouille (drums)

Among the most mysterious and charismatic figures of all the Italian prog scene, Antonio Bartoccetti (Antonius Rex) began his career going to Milan from the Marche, forming Jacula, Dietro Noi Deserto (even with a  single on Decca in 1971!), and Invisible Force (another lonely single in 1971). Not real bands but just a group of musicians working beyond the leading figure of Bartoccetti.

Their first album, in 1969, was recorded in London and only released in a strictly limited number of copies. An album full of dark atmospheres, mainly based on guitar and church organ and with no drums, it was reissued by Black Widow in 2001, but some inconsistencies in the music and lyrics suggest that this album is not actually from 1969.

In 1971 two singles were released under different names: first as Invisible Force, with two tracks that later reappeared in Tardo pede in magiam versus and Zora; the B-side 1999 mundi finis, later re-released as U.F.D.E.M. and Morte al potere is one of their classics. The second single that year appeared under the name of Dietro Noi Deserto, this time Bartoccetti was the bass player and composer of both tracks; this seems to be the only proper group which he has played with, and the style is closer to late 60's psychy beat than progressive.

Second album, and usually considered their first proper release, was Tardo pede in magiam versus, also released in limited number of copies for an unknown label (this seems to be a constant in all the Bartoccetti production) and housed in a cover sporting the same design as the previous one, but coloured instead of the original black and white.
The medium Franz Parthenzy is also listed in the line-up along with the three official members Antonio Bartoccetti, Charles Tiring and Fiamma Dallo Spirito.
Long instrumental spectral organ parts are the main ingredient of this album, that has in the suggestive U.F.D.E.M. (also on the Invisbile Force single) probably their best track. Dark atmospheres abound and some tracks, like the spoken (in bad English) Long black magic night can be boring for many listeners.

In 1974 a new name change to Antonius Rex and an album called Neque semper arcum tendit rex, first official appearance of Doris Norton, long time partner and musical collaborator of Bartoccetti. According to him, despite a contact to release it on Vertigo, the label considered it to be too outrageous, with the black and white cover reproducing a 17th century "diabolic" letter and strong lyrics, especially in the Devil letter track. The album was planned for release on drummer Albert Goodman's Darkness label, but it never went over a promo issue.

So the first real commercially released Antonius Rex album is Zora from 1977, on the small Tickle label and, again, with an outrageous cover that was replaced with a different one a year later. Zora is not a great album, despite its collectibility, and includes some reworkings of tracks from Jacula's Tardo pede in magiam versus (Morte al potere is a third revised version of U.F.D.E.M.); their main elements are as usual church organ, dark atmospheres, lyrics dealing with occultism. The four tracks on the album were all composed by Bartoccetti along with Franco Mussita and Angelo "India" Serighelli from I Raminghi, both also listed among the LP contributors. The second issue includes an extra fifth track.

Ralefun is definitely much less dark than anything else they made, more varied and the sound is richer with the addition of flute and bass guitar (with guest appearences by Marco Ratti and Hugo Heredia), but some ventures into different music styles don't always work very well.

Very mysterious characters, Jacula/Antonius Rex never liked concerts, their only live appearance ever as Jacula has been made in Milan in front of a 45 people audience while Antonius Rex apparently had a tour in 1979, and have always liked to do what they wanted, without the record companies restrictions and obligations.

2001 has seen the official re-release of two of the rarest Jacula/Antonius Rex productions, In cauda semper stat venenum and Anno demoni, both by Italian independent label Black Widow. An official reissue of Antonius Rex' 1974 first album Neque semper arcum tendit rex has just been released in late 2002, while a reissue of Praeternatural is finally out in late 2003.

In 2005 the first Antonius Rex official video was released, Magic ritual, issued on DVD and CD. Latest studio albums by the prolific artist are Per viam issued in 2009, Pre viam in 2011, and Hystero demonopathy in 2012, all on Black Widow.
According to unconfirmed information, Antonio Bartoccetti passed away in 2017.

JACULA LP
In cauda semper stat venenum	Gnome (AR-LP 00299)	1969	single cover - 310 copies never sold
	Black Widow (BWR 051)	2001	as above - limited edition of 299 signed copies with sticker and insert
	Black Widow (BWR 051)	2010	new reissue with single cover and inner - reissued again in 2014 with insert
	Black Widow (BWR 051)	2020	new reissue with different single cover artwork - insert - standard black vinyl version or limited 50 copies with marbled yellow vinyl
Tardo pede in magiam versus	Rogers (TRS 010001)	1972	single laminated cover - 1000 copies
	Rogers (TRS 010001)	1990	500 copies limited reissue by Musik Research - identical to the above but has a thinner cover
	Black Widow (BWR 108)	2007	35th anniversary edition reissue with a bonus track- single cover with different artwork on the back - inner - exists with black or red vinyl
	Black Widow (BWR 108)	2020	new reissue with laminated single cover identical to the original - standard black vinyl version and limited 66 numbered copies pressing with clear bronze vinyl and two-track bonus single
Pre viam	Black Widow (BWR 135)	2011	single cover with poster - also exists with blue vinyl (100 copies)
CD
Tardo pede in magiam versus	Mellow (MMP 136)	1992	reissue of 1972 album
	Black Widow (BWR  CD 108-2)	2007	35th anniversary edition reissue with a bonus audio and video track - digipack cover
In cauda semper stat venenum	Black Widow (BWR 051)	2001	reissue of 1969 album
Pre viam	Black Widow (BWR 135CD)	2011	exists with both standard and limited edition digipack tri-fold cover

INVISIBLE FORCE SINGLES (with picture cover)
Morti vident 1999 mundi finis	Unifunk (AR 02143)	1971

DIETRO NOI DESERTO SINGLES (with picture cover)
Dentro me Aiuto	Decca (C 17017)	1971
VARIOUS ARTISTS COMPILATION LP'S
Progressive voyage (with Dentro me and Aiuto)	Mellow (MMP 164)	1993	CD compilation also including Il Giro Strano, Corte dei Miracoli, Quella Vecchia Locanda, Zauber and others

ANTONIUS REX LP
Neque semper arcum tendit rex	Darkness (DRK 40-18)	1974	single cover with left-side opening - 400 copies
	Black Widow (BWR 066)	2002	single cover with left opening - inner - 400 copies numbered edition
Zora	Tickle (TLPS 5013)	1977	laminated single cover
	Tickle (TLPS 5018)	1978	single cover - one extra track
	Musik Research	2001	reissue of second edition
	Black Widow (BWR 118)	2010	reissue with the original front cover and back cover photo and bonus track from the second issue - inner - black vinyl, but also exists in a 50 copies limited issue with coloured vinyl
	Black Widow (BWR 118)	2024	new reissue with the same artwork as the first issue cover, with no extra track, contains an insert - also exists in limited 100 copies issue with poster, booklet and a one-sided single with the bonus track from the 1978 second issue
Ralefun	Radio (ZPLRR 34048)	1978	single cover
	Black Widow (BWR 128)	2010	reissue with 1 bonus track - single cover with inner - standard black version or limited green vinyl edition
Anno demoni	Musik Research (AR LP 00-499)	1979	499 copies
	Musik Research (AR LP 00-499)	1992	500 copies limited reissue, hand numbered and signed
	Black Widow (BWR 058)	2001	gatefold cover with insert and bonus 7" Invisible Force single
Praeternatural	Musik Research	1980
	Black Widow (BWR 074)	2003	500 copies limited reissue, first 35 in red vinyl - glossy gatefold cover with inner
Magic ritual	Black Widow (BWR 083 LP)	2005	contains one extra track not on CD - limited pressing of 300 copies on black vinyl and 150 on orange vinyl
Switch on dark	Black Widow (BWR 099)	2006	gatefold cover - limited pressing on black vinyl, also exists in 100 copies on red vinyl
Per viam	Black Widow (BWR 126)	2009	gatefold cover
Hystero demonopathy	Black Widow (BWR 153)	2012	single cover - also exists with purple vinyl and inserts
CD
Anno demoni	Mellow (MMP 118)	1992	reissue of 1979 album - credited to Jacula - now deleted
	Black Widow (BWR 058)	2001	reissue of 1979 album
	Black Widow (BWR 0582)	2003	remastered reissue of the above with 2 bonus tracks
Zora	Mellow (MMP 231)	1994	reissue of 1977 album
	Black Widow (BWR CD 118-2)	2010	reissue with the original cover, the extra track from the second issue and a bonus unreleased track - digipack cover
Ralefun	Mellow (MMP 232)	1994	reissue of 1978 album
	Black Widow (BWR 128)	2011	reissue with 1 bonus track - digipack cover with different artwork
Neque semper arcum tendit rex	Black Widow (BWR 066)	2002	reissue of 1974 album
Praeternatural	Black Widow (BWR 074)	2003	reissue of 1980 album
Magic ritual	Black Widow (BWR DVD 083)	2005	DVD+CD set with unreleased tracks
Switch on dark	Black Widow (BWR 099)	2006	new studio album - digipack cover - includes a video track
Per viam	Black Widow (BWR 126)	2009	digipack cover
Hystero demonopathy	Black Widow (BWR CD 153-2)	2012	includes a video track
SINGLES (with picture cover)
Agonia per un amore Witch dance	Spark (SR 848)	1978	different versions of tracks from the second album

All the original Jacula/Antonius Rex releases have been issued on very small labels and in strictly limited quantities, hence their rarity and high prices.
NOTE: In some cases details and production quantities mentioned have been supplied by the musicians themselves and it's been impossible to confirm them.

Neither In cauda semper stat venenum nor Neque semper arcum tendit rex have ever reached the record shops, the first one having been reputedly pressed in just 300 (or 299) copies + 10 promotional ones, only a handful of which were distributed to religious sects. Neque semper only had a 400 copies issue, privately distributed. The two Musik Research albums, Anno demoni and Praternatural, have also been released by the group in small quantities and only privately distributed and sold. 

In cauda semper stat venenum had its first commercial release in 2001 by the Black Widow label from Genoa on vinyl and CD; the LP had a 299 copies pressing numbered and signed by Bartoccetti, and included an insert with his full story.
A limited 100 numbered copies issue of In cauda semper stat venenum exists with white label vinyls privately pressed by Antonio Bartoccetti in the 80's and never distributed, that were sold with a newly designed black and white cover in 2021. These copies contain an insert with a portrait of Bartoccetti.

This reduces the real commercial releases to just three items, Jacula's Tardo pede in magiam versus and Antonius Rex's Zora and Ralefun.

Tardo pede in magiam versus was reputedly released in 1000 copies with a laminated single cover, 300 of which were actually sold at the time. The cover design was the same as the one on In cauda semper stat venenum but whereas the original was black and white this was coloured. The name of the band came from a 60's porn/horror cartoon, Jacula being a vampyr woman. According to old documents recently discovered, the SIAE-stamped (hence presumably sold) copies of Tardo pede were just 112. A single taken from this LP, containing U.F.D.E.M. (two edited versions of different length were mastered for it), was never issued.
Antonio Bartoccetti's Musik Research has produced a reissue that's identical to the original, limited to 500 copies, some of these were numbered and signed on the back cover. 
Original copies can be identified by the thicker card used for the cover (both issues are laminated, original is smoother), a wider bottom edge on the back (see picture below) and SIAE stamp on the label, that's rougher on the originals. Some reissue copies exist, though, with SIAE stamp.
As it was the case with the previous album, Black Widow reissued Tardo pede in magiam versus on LP many times with the same catalogue number but different details. The 2007 reissue includes an unreleased bonus track, Absolution, an inner sleeve with recording notes and a different back cover artwork. The 2020 edition returned to the original 1972 cover and didn't contain the bonus track, which was included in two different versions on a bonus 33 rpm single only distributed with the limited 66 copies pressing on clear bronze vinyl.

The original 3000 copies issue of Zora is very hard to find. The cover artwork was much more original than the plain black one of the reissue (5000 copies), but this had an extra track, The gnome. The 2010 issue had the original artwork and was released by Black Widow on vinyl (the standard black and a limited 50 copies pressing on coloured vinyl) which includes The gnome from the 1978 second issue, and on CD with another bonus track, the unreleased Monastery.

Ralefun has been only released by RCA subsidiary Radio Records with a single cover and never reissued. Many of the available copies had the "Campione non commerciabile" (Promo not for sale) writing on the turquoise/silver label.
The album includes remakes with new titles and lyrics of there tracks that had already been recorded by Fiamma Dallo Spirito (who is not on Ralefun) on her 1975 LP Sabba, unreleased at the time and only issued in 2022: Incubus, Agonia per un amore and Magic sadness were originally entitled Povero lui, Agonia and Profezia on the 1975 LP.
The Black Widow reissue came out on LP in 2010 e CD in 2011, both with the bonus track Proxima luna. No counterfeits or foreign issues should exist of both the Antonius Rex albums.

In cauda semper stat venenum has had its first commercial release in 2001 by the Black Widow label from Genova, in a 299 copies vinyl pressing numbered and signed by Bartoccetti, and including an insert with his full story. A CD release also exists.

The 1979 Anno demoni album (originally in a 499 copies series individually numbered and signed by the Rex himself) had a first reissue by Musik Research in 1992 in 500 numbered copies, and has recently been re-released, again by Black Widow, in a gatefold cover including an insert and a reissue of the rare Invisible Force single. It must be pointed out that in the first CD reissue by Mellow in 1992, the album was credited to Jacula and not to Antonius Rex.

It's possible that some more records have been released under the name Antonius Rex in the 80's. The 12" single Pig in the witch was one of these, described by Antonio Bartoccetti as a "techno experiment", and mostly sold in England.

The reissue of Neque semper arcum tendit rex (400 numbered copies) has been made in 2002 by Black Widow, that has also recently released Praeternatural in late 2003 (500 unnumbered copies, 35 of which in red vinyl), while a strictly limited compilation of unreleased material, called Verba non volant is planned to be released on CD only.

The 2005 released Magic ritual was pressed on a special DVD Plus format, with a single disc playing as DVD on one side and CD audio on the other. The video was directed by Doris Norton.

In cauda semper stat venenum - front cover (2001 reissue)
In cauda semper stat venenum - LP (2021 issue with 80's vinyl and newly designed cover)
Invisible Force - 7" single cover	Dietro noi deserto - 7" single cover
A Jacula magazine
Tardo pedem in magiam versus - front cover
Tardo pedem in magiam versus - reissue (left) and original LP's back cover side to side
Tardo pedem in magiam versus - reissue (left) and original LP's labels side to side
Tardo pedem in magiam versus - detail of a SIAE statement showing the actual number of copies stamped
Neque semper arcum tendit rex - front cover (from reissue)
Zora (original issue) - front cover
Zora (second issue) - front cover	Antonius Rex promo sticker
Ralefun - front cover
Agonia per un amore - 7" single	Pig in the witch - 12" single
Anno Demoni - front cover
Praeternatural - front cover (from reissue)
Magic ritual DVD+CD - front cover

An interview with Antonio Bartoccetti (A.B.) and Doris Norton (D.N.) made by Augusto Croce in July 2002

1- Which was the reason for the bands' splitting? 

A.B.: The Jacula chapter finished in 1972: Charles (a mad 68-year old with a 18-year old wife) didn't want to understand that rust quickly eats the treasures, and at the same time after my degree at Milan Catholic University I knew that I'd have to join the Army. Moreover, the band's name was too "epidermic". 

Antonius Rex, a logical consequence of the former band, split in 1980: one of the reasons was that we were not satisfied of the way we quickly recorded Ralefun, an album full of good compositions badly released that was our only work that has had good sales thanks to the RCA marketing team and Sidet promotion. Unfortunately Ralefun still is our best known release, or the least unknown as most of our albums really are. 

Probably our goal has never been the business, and for this reason the best records like Praeter (self produced for our MR label to avoid dealing with record companies' executives), the early ones or Anno Domini are very far from the commercial taste. The Antonius Rex event had closed its "deliberately anomalous" cycle with the 2 + 6 predestined albums, some of which were inevitably anonymous, like In cauda semper stat venenum and Neque semper tendit arcum. The last one was boycotted by Vertigo due to the Devil letter track. We had reached our goal to release records only for ourselves and maybe for the few ones who followed us. Zora was recorded only for money because we needed it and that's another album that we don't like despite the fact that some reviewers consider it a good work and many people know it.

2 - Is it correct to talk of an "esoteric-subliminal" message?

D.N.: There are thousands of millions of humans, so I'd better consider it as a highly individualist message: this includes some theoretical communication instances that can sectorially be mystic-objective.

3 - Your lyrics often refer to witchcraft. Who are your witches?

A.B.: It's usually considered a witch anyone who denies the white to adore the black, convinces others to love him, loves the incest, diverts the human seed off its natural destination, knows how to bring life to an end and how to capture the mind. 

The females characters in our lyrics are different: these beings are able to show magically the way to anyone who thinks not to have it, or to anyone who finds himself at the center of a crossroads. But the witches in Aquila non capit muscas are sort of divine avengers, eager for blood.

4 - How would you summarize your music from the beginnings up to 1980?

A.B.: In that decade of overindulgence it was the fate that defined the appearance of our music. 

When we came to Milan, and later to London, in our mind there was even the wish to form a supergroup with great musicians that could put their creative help to our compositions. Maybe we'd have made piles of money by doing this, but surely we'd lived much worse and we'd have lost our way in search of vanity. 

Fatally it didn't go that way: we only recorded what we had composed and initially we needed Charles Tiring because none of us two was a classical organist; for the same reason we needed Albert [Goodman, drummer] for his percussionist technique though it was rather poor if compared to our favourite drummer, Carl Palmer. 

I think our music was able to create a hidden image, a suggestion that "is" before being visible as the spectrum of the light. Our music was an esoteric symbol in which we expressed the lost advantage that assigned to the cultural function of mystery, a fascinating small margin of its spiritual escape. By listing our eight works in whose sound impressions we described the indescribable, we tried to give the earthly mortals one more chance to foresee their instances. Someone said of us that we were "non-technical producers of mystery blurred mirror images".

5 - Are there any conceptual differences between Jacula, Antonius Rex and the other groups you were in, despite being based on the same nucleus of musicians?

A.B.: There are no particular conceptual differences between them; I love to mention only Jacula and Antonius Rex and ignore both Dietro Noi Deserto and Invisible Force. In fact the first two Jacula albums represent our beginning, and the first Antonius Rex LP is the logical evolution of those two. We have already mentioned Zora and Ralefun, two ridiculous albums both on the conceptual and the artistic-technical side. On Zora Mr Albert Goodman wanted to play the drums leaving tympani and percussion…. the rhytmical result of Zora is really terrible.

6 - Jacula and Antonius Rex are cult bands both in Italy and abroad. Have you ever thought of releasing any retrospective works (such as box sets or books) for your fans from all over the world?

A.B.: We thought about this many times, and it seems a very good idea; we also have some videos that can be put on DVD. Let's wait for the right time to come!

7 - All the Jacula and Antonius Rex have been released in limited numbers? Elite music or a commercial choice?

A.B.: All our albums except Ralefun can be described as limited editions, musical emotions for a selected group, to accept or refuse as a whole. I wouldn't call it a commercial choice, because when you're 20 and you think you're a god, you don't mind the marketing reasons. I'd rather talk of fate, we had to make records that had to despair into the fogs of the woods. The only naïve illusion was given to us by Albert in 1974, he promised us that Neque would be issued by Vertigo: things would have then gone in a different way… but all that happened was written.

8 - How do you judge the high prices reached by your records on the collectors' market?

A.B.: I think there are only two ways to reach an apparent truth: on the first side, rationally speaking, it's been difficult to find our works for the collectors from all over the world; if a record is rare, and has some relevant contents, it attracts collectors. 

On another side add to this the highly thematic and probably trustworthy esoteric communication that some of our works (except Zora and Ralefun) contain. If you mix these two aspects, what is rare becomes even rarer because it deals with mystery, that's a fascinating thing. Of course knowing that an original 1977 issue of Zora is sold at $ 350 is a pleasure, but it's also amazing, considering that objectively that record lacks strength and originality.

9 - How do you explain the lack of live concerts?

A.B.: We made a single concert, I think it was in 1972 at Teatro dell'Arte in Milano with just 45 paying guests, but it was satisfying because the ticket was priced at 50000 lire. Later, in 1979, we had a beautiful european tour: you can find the dates advertised on Ciao 2001. Then Albert disappeared and we had to cancel the concert at Teatro Argentina in Milan despite the fact there were 2000 followers at the doors.

10 - Is it nice for you that Neque Semper Arcum Tendit Rex is now reissued 28 years after its original release?

A.B.: It's fairly good, because along with Praternatural it was the album that took much efforts to be done. We still have 22 copies of the original and in a Warsaw market we found some reissues that I think are probably illegal. Now we gave the rights for the master to the Black Widow label and the lyrics' rights to an italo-American group that was much attracted by the text contents.

11 - How come you often used to go to Romania?

A.B.: We still consider Romania as our second home, especially for the high theological sense that its inhabitants naturally own. It's also the native country of Tepes, who surely inspired our creativity.

12 - Do you regret that some of your LP's went totally unnoticed?

A.B.: Not at all. Some LP were born to be unknown to the straight audiences and to the marketing. Some people started talking about our second LP, Tardo pede, in 1980 only, that's eight years after it was first released. All this was part of our original projects and our inevitable choices, and is still satisfying now. The Works are here to stay, and maybe tomorrow some will talk again of U.F.D.E.M., Magister dixit, Triumphatus, Incubus, Non fiat, Ego sum, In hoc signo, Necromancer, the hand of Gloria or mister Vlad, keeping in mind that not all the costumes that our society created to be worn by the Ghosts can be musically represented with no contradiction with what some demented people have arbitrarily decided to be the musical language.

13 - What are your recollections of London?

A.B.: London was and still is an infected metropolis, able to infect the whole world. On the musical side there were very good producers but they just wanted compromises, and the musicians who accepted these rules could earn much money.

14 - Do you still follow any artists?

A.B.: No one since more than twenty years. Many years ago I listened with attention to the first Black Sabbath album, with a highly significant sleeve designed by the great Keef. I liked Tony Iommi's guitar playing, that had the positive side of having an original style but the negative side of being repetitive. I also used to like Van der Graaf Generator, early Genesis, the first Gentle Giant LP, first two by King Crimson as I admired Fripp's inspiration from French classics. I've never liked Eric Clapton, that I knew much before its career with Cream and that I followed up to Blind Faith: too formal and with no ideas, unlike Iron Butterfly that I saw in New York and were very good. There's nothing good nowadays and there will be only noise tomorrow.

15 - How do you judge Doris Norton's interest for electronic music since 1980?

A.B.: This is part of her synthetic nature, of her desire to search and produce with no help from others, without a group. I like Psychic research and other albums in their being non-musical and experimental. As the so-called rock had nothing else to say it was better to experiment and to go ahead of our times rather than… I couldn't see a future as composers, I was rather seeing a future made of effects and rhythm creating, on a strong technological basis and always more escaping from Music.

16 - And now?

A.B.: Since more than ten years I love to produce noise, creative noise. Nothing to do with music: we sold six millions of singles and over 550 thousand albums of extreme Techno, with the aim to give a non-destructive sound drug to all those who are destructed by real drugs.

17 - A new album?

A.B.: Every time we go to Romania, where we have a small studio in a convent, we keep composing and recording, but we don't know if this will ever become our ninth album.

18 - Coming back to Neque semper, what's the message contained in this album?

A.B.: There are many ways to describe Neque semper… if In cauda was the beginning of a path towards an interior research and Tardo pede was an invitation to slowly walk towards magically occult worlds, Neque semper is the desire to do, putting one's mystically inquiring super-ego on the top of a mountain and above the mortal beings. I think that Neque semper can be described as a concept coming from the dark of a black and white castle with differently lit rooms.

19 - Can you explain the contents of the six tracks?

A.B.: Neque Semper Arcum, the album opener with a classical organ, it's my condemnation of envy, a dark rhythm guitar, a lead guitar that's mystic-dismal and at the same time heavy prog.
Pactus, the story of a blood pact, in a ritual-dark atmosphere, three soloist-prog guitar in sequence, a short but nice mini-moog break. It's the only soft dreamy track in the album, where the progressive guitars and the percussive rhythm can be only seen as Extreme Magical Love. 
In hoc signo vinces, piano and rhythm guitar almost resemble an impressionistic-dark movie. Lead break by mini-moog surely in advanced-fusion style. 
Non fiat voluntas tua, a strong condemnation that repeats the socio-ecological themes of U.F.D.E.M. Celebrating voice, hard guitar, prog harpsichord, ceremonial rhythm. 
Devil letter: no comment 
Aquila non capit muscas, it's my favourite track, putting an iron mask on the cowardice of the secular prophets. Typical progressive piano, dark rhythm guitar, original lead guitar break.

20 - So do you still like your performance of Neque semper?

A.B.: In a creative sense we do, Neque semper represented the evolution of Doris Norton, maybe because unconsciously she wanted to demonstrate to organist Charles Tiring that she too could play very well the classical organ, that she deeply studied for three long years; she was great as well with mini-moog, and also created bass and rhythm parts. Albert respected our wishes with rhythm: tympani, bass drums, gong and some assorted percussions: the rhythm perfection is due to the use of tape loops that we forced him to use after explaining him how to work with them. 

For what my role in it is concerned, apart from the voice that I voluntarily used with evocative tones, I started back as guitarist from Triumphatus sad [on 1969's first album], knowing I'd have to use my guitar in an hyperbolically personal and precursive way. I still like today some of the guitar solos made with my Gibson SG.

21 - When will Neque semper be released?

A.B.: Inevitably around September and October 2002. The reissue LP is totally identical to the original, with a black & white sleeve, devil letter and magical symbols on cover, in numbered issue and with left side record opening. The CD version will be very clean, much compressed and dynamic, but… without any single note alteration. We'll wait and see how it will be received in the world 28 years later.

Click on pictures to enlarge

1974 band (Goodman, Bartoccetti, Norton)	Recent promo picture

Thanks to Musik Research for pictures, interview and lots of  information. 
Also thanks to Black Widow, Rockground, Rocco Trezza and John N.Martin of John's Classic Rock for some information and scans on this page.
The detail of the SIAE document referred to Tardo pede in magiam versus is published here by courtesy of Pino Pintabona from Black Widow Records.