• O C T. XXV. • Antonius Rex — “Devil Letter”

From the 1974 album Neque Semper Arcum Tendit Rex.

Formed initially as Jacula in 1968, Antonius Rex was the musical brainchild of Italian occultist weirdo Antonio Bartoccetti. The Jacula/Antonius Rex sound is hard to pinpoint, as despite their use of insanely heavy-before-its-time guitars, I wouldn't actually call what they did rock or metal. It was more about creating some sort of esoteric and atmospheric soundscape, this track in particular being a prime example. Some 17th century magic sigils and diabolical themes don't raise many eyebrows today, but in the mid '70s, it must have been a different matter, as when they first submitted Neque Semper Arcum Tendit Rex to Vertigo Records, they objected to both the sinister nature of this track and the cover art. Subsequently, it was only released on a small label (Darkness) in a limited run of 400.

This particular track makes good use of extended periods of silence, causing one to occasionally jump out of their seat when the sound comes back in, so try not to get fooled into thinking it's over and end up spilling your beer everywhere...