Tarot is a Finnish
heavy metal band. They are most famous for the song "Wings of Darkness" from the 1986 album ''
Spell of Iron
''Spell of Iron'' is the debut album by Finnish metal band Tarot, released in 1986 by Flamingo Music. It was released on CD in 1994 by Bluelight Records, and a remastered version was released in 2006 by Spinefarm Records
Spinefarm Records is ...
''. While having enjoyed a broad underground popularity in Finland, the band has never been notable elsewhere until gaining new success in recent years, with their singer and bassist
Marko Hietala
Marko Tapani "Marco" Hietala (born 14 January 1966) is a Finnish heavy metal vocalist, bassist and songwriter. Internationally, he is best known as the former bassist, male vocalist and secondary composer to Tuomas Holopainen, of the symphonic ...
in the largely successful
Nightwish
Nightwish is a Finnish symphonic metal band from Kitee. The band was formed in 1996 by lead songwriter and keyboardist Tuomas Holopainen, guitarist Emppu Vuorinen, and former lead singer Tarja Turunen. The band soon picked up drummer Jukka Neva ...
for nearly two decades. With a more global audience, the band re-recorded ''Spell of Iron'' for its 25th anniversary.
History
Tarot was originally formed by the Hietala brothers in the early 1980s. Back then the band was called "Purgatory". As Purgatory reached the point when they got the record deal, they changed their name to "Tarot" at the insistence of the label Flamingo Records. The line-up settled into the form of Marko Hietala (bass/vocals), Zachary Hietala (guitars), Mako H (guitars) and Pecu Cinnari (drums).
The "Wings of Darkness" single saw the daylight in April 1986 and in December that same year Tarot released their first full-length album ''
Spell of Iron
''Spell of Iron'' is the debut album by Finnish metal band Tarot, released in 1986 by Flamingo Music. It was released on CD in 1994 by Bluelight Records, and a remastered version was released in 2006 by Spinefarm Records
Spinefarm Records is ...
''. In April 1988, following the release of a single "Rose on the Grave", their second album ''
Follow Me into Madness
''Follow Me into Madness'' is the second album by Finnish metal band Tarot, released in 1988 by Bluelight Records. A remastered version was released in 2006 by Spinefarm Records. Rose On The Grave was released as a single in 1988. This is also ...
'' was released.
After the second album, there was a hiatus in the band. During this "vacation" the line-up changed a little bit and a keyboardist was added to the band as
Janne Tolsa
Janne Tolsa (born 7 March 1970) is a Finnish heavy metal musician. Known for his keyboard work in Tarot from the late 1980s, Tolsa also takes part in the melodic death metal band Eternal Tears of Sorrow, which he joined in 2005 for their albu ...
joined Tarot and replaced the second guitarist Mako H. After long preparation, the third album ''To Live Forever'' came out in February 1993. Tarot received good publicity in Japan, making their first live album ''To Live Again'' to be released as a Japanese special edition in November 1994. The live album was recorded at Tavastia Club, Helsinki in August 1994. Some of the songs from the live album were released the following year on a limited edition bonus CD with the next studio album, ''Stigmata''. ''To Live Forever'' was remixed and re-released in 2006 together with all the previous albums.
Much anticipated ''For the Glory of Nothing'' came out in 1998. ''Shining Black'', a Tarot compilation album, came out in Japan in December 1998. While Tarot was inactive, Marko also played in the bands Conquest and
Sinergy
Sinergy was a Finnish/Swedish heavy metal band started in 1997 by American musician Kimberly Goss. The idea for a "balls-out female-fronted metal band" was first formed when Kimberly Goss of Dimmu Borgir met Jesper Strömblad of In Flames w ...
. Together with other members of Conquest, Marko played cover songs under the name Metal Gods. Marko became a member of
Nightwish
Nightwish is a Finnish symphonic metal band from Kitee. The band was formed in 1996 by lead songwriter and keyboardist Tuomas Holopainen, guitarist Emppu Vuorinen, and former lead singer Tarja Turunen. The band soon picked up drummer Jukka Neva ...
in 2001. Tolsa played the keyboards for Virtuocity's ''Secret Visions'' album as Marko sang a few songs on it. In summer 2002 Tarot played a special '80s gig in Kuopio, playing material only from the first two albums.
In March 2003, the compilation ''Shining Black'' was released again in the rest of the world. Tarot signed a new record deal with
Spinefarm Records
Spinefarm Records is a Finnish independent record label focusing mainly on heavy metal artists. It is a subsidiary of Universal Music Group.
History
Spinefarm Records was originally founded in 1990 by Riku Pääkkönen as a mail-order distrib ...
and the new studio album ''Suffer Our Pleasures'' was released. While the album did well in Finland, it was barely noticed elsewhere.
During these years Marko was busy with his other band Nightwish by recording and touring around the world. Tolsa worked on an album with
Eternal Tears of Sorrow
Eternal Tears of Sorrow (commonly abbreviated to EToS) is a Finnish symphonic/melodic death metal band formed in Pudasjärvi.
Biography
The band was formed in 1994 by Jarmo Puolakanaho, Altti Veteläinen and Olli-Pekka Törrö, after vario ...
and toured with the industrial metal band
Turmion Kätilöt
Turmion Kätilöt (literally "Midwives of Ruin", "Midwives of Bane" or "Midwives of Perdition") is a Finnish industrial metal band founded in 2003 by MC Raaka Pee and DJ Vastapallo, who until the latter's departure, were the only studio lineup ...
.
![Tarot at Myötätuulirock 2010 (5033100240)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0f/Tarot_at_My%C3%B6t%C3%A4tuulirock_2010_%285033100240%29.jpg)
Early 2006, Tarot's earlier label Bluelight Records released a collection of the band's first six albums remastered with a large amount of bonus material, unreleased demos, live and special versions of the songs and some covers. Some of the albums were also remixed.
The fans had been expecting the re-releases for years and the collection was so successful that in May 2006, when Tarot released the new single "You", it made number one on the Finnish charts for the first time in the history of the band. During that time, the band formalized their long-time roadie/backing vocalist Tommi Salmela as a band member after being with the band for more than a decade.
Early 2006, Tarot was signed to KingFoo Entertainment in Finland, with
Nuclear Blast
Nuclear Blast is a record label and mail order record distributor with subsidiaries in Germany, the United States and Brazil. The label was founded in 1987 by Markus Staiger in Germany. Originally releasing hardcore punk records, the label mov ...
covering the rest of Europe. During summer of 2006, the band not only toured various clubs and festivals but also composed, demoed and recorded new material. The album ''
Crows Fly Black
''Crows Fly Black'' is the seventh album by Finnish heavy metal band Tarot, released on 27 October 2006. This album is accompanied by the single "You", and the music video "Ashes to the Stars". This is the first album to officially acknowledge ...
'' was released in October 2006.
On 11 June 2008, Tarot released their first live DVD, ''
Undead Indeed
''Undead Indeed'' is the first live DVD/2CD by Finnish heavy metal band Tarot. It was recorded in Rupla Club, Kuopio, Finland, on 17 August 2007. The DVD was released on 11 June 2008.
CD & DVD Track listing (DVD)
# Intro (Band coming on s ...
''. The DVD also had a live album counterpart. They followed the release with a short tour in support of ''Undead Indeed'', which began 30 January 2009.
Their new album, entitled ''
Gravity of Light
''Gravity of Light'' is the eighth studio album by the Finnish heavy metal band Tarot
The tarot (, first known as '' trionfi'' and later as ''tarocchi'' or ''tarocks'') is a pack of playing cards, used from at least the mid-15th century in ...
'', was released in Finland on 10 March 2010, in Europe on 23 April 2010, the UK on 26 April 2010, and in North America on 8 June 2010.
On 11 September 2016, it was announced on
Facebook
Facebook is an online social media and social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. Founded in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg with fellow Harvard College students and roommates Eduardo Saverin, Andrew McCollum, Dustin M ...
that drummer Pecu Cinnari had died due to a long-term illness. With Marko's recent departure from Nightwish, he stated in an interview that new material from Tarot is still "up in the air".
Members
Current
*
Marko Hietala
Marko Tapani "Marco" Hietala (born 14 January 1966) is a Finnish heavy metal vocalist, bassist and songwriter. Internationally, he is best known as the former bassist, male vocalist and secondary composer to Tuomas Holopainen, of the symphonic ...
– lead vocals, bass, acoustic guitar (1982–present)
*
Zachary Hietala
Sakari "Zachary" Hietala (born August 10, 1962 in Tervo, Finland) is the guitarist, co-songwriter and founding member of Finnish heavy metal band ''Tarot'' (formerly ''Purgatory'') in early 1980s, together with his younger brother Marko Hietala ...
– guitars (1982–present)
*
Janne Tolsa
Janne Tolsa (born 7 March 1970) is a Finnish heavy metal musician. Known for his keyboard work in Tarot from the late 1980s, Tolsa also takes part in the melodic death metal band Eternal Tears of Sorrow, which he joined in 2005 for their albu ...
– keyboards (1988–present)
* Tommi Salmela – vocals,
sampler (2006–present)
Former
* Mako H – guitars (1982–1988)
* Pecu Cinnari – drums (1982–2016); died 2016
Timeline
Discography
Albums
Studio
* ''
Spell of Iron
''Spell of Iron'' is the debut album by Finnish metal band Tarot, released in 1986 by Flamingo Music. It was released on CD in 1994 by Bluelight Records, and a remastered version was released in 2006 by Spinefarm Records
Spinefarm Records is ...
'' (1986)
* ''
Follow Me into Madness
''Follow Me into Madness'' is the second album by Finnish metal band Tarot, released in 1988 by Bluelight Records. A remastered version was released in 2006 by Spinefarm Records. Rose On The Grave was released as a single in 1988. This is also ...
'' (1988)
* ''To Live Forever'' (1993)
* ''Stigmata'' (1995)
* ''For the Glory of Nothing'' (1998)
* ''Suffer Our Pleasures'' (2003)
* ''
Crows Fly Black
''Crows Fly Black'' is the seventh album by Finnish heavy metal band Tarot, released on 27 October 2006. This album is accompanied by the single "You", and the music video "Ashes to the Stars". This is the first album to officially acknowledge ...
'' (2006)
* ''
Gravity of Light
''Gravity of Light'' is the eighth studio album by the Finnish heavy metal band Tarot
The tarot (, first known as '' trionfi'' and later as ''tarocchi'' or ''tarocks'') is a pack of playing cards, used from at least the mid-15th century in ...
'' (2010)
* ''
The Spell of Iron MMXI
''The Spell of Iron MMXI'' is the ninth album by Finnish heavy metal band Tarot
The tarot (, first known as '' trionfi'' and later as ''tarocchi'' or ''tarocks'') is a pack of playing cards, used from at least the mid-15th century in variou ...
'' (2011)
Live
* ''To Live Again'' (Live CD, 1994)
* ''
Undead Indeed
''Undead Indeed'' is the first live DVD/2CD by Finnish heavy metal band Tarot. It was recorded in Rupla Club, Kuopio, Finland, on 17 August 2007. The DVD was released on 11 June 2008.
CD & DVD Track listing (DVD)
# Intro (Band coming on s ...
'' (Live 2CD, 2008)
Singles and EPs
* ''Wings of Darkness'' (1986)
* ''Love's Not Made for My Kind'' (1986)
* ''Rose on the Grave'' (1988)
* ''Angels of Pain'' (1995)
* ''As One'' (1995)
* ''Warhead'' (1997)
* ''The Punishment'' (1998)
* ''Undead Son'' (2003)
* ''You'' (2006)
* ''I Walk Forever'' (2010)
Compilations
* ''Shining Black – The Best of Tarot'' (2003)
* ''Metallic Emotions'' (2007)
DVDs
* ''
Undead Indeed
''Undead Indeed'' is the first live DVD/2CD by Finnish heavy metal band Tarot. It was recorded in Rupla Club, Kuopio, Finland, on 17 August 2007. The DVD was released on 11 June 2008.
CD & DVD Track listing (DVD)
# Intro (Band coming on s ...
'' (2008)
Music videos
* ''Wings of Darkness'' (1986)
* ''Love's Not Made for My Kind'' (1986)
* ''I Don't Care Anymore'' (1988)
* ''The Punishment'' (1998)
* ''Pyre of Gods'' (2003)
* ''Ashes to the Stars'' (2006)
* ''I Walk Forever'' (2010)
* ''Wings of Darkness'' (2011)
References
Sources
*
*
External links
Official website*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tarot
Finnish heavy metal musical groups
Finnish power metal musical groups
Nuclear Blast artists