Tarantula

Tarantula is a Portuguese heavy metal band formed in October 1981 and active from 1981 to the present. The line-up includes Paulo Barros, José Aguiar, Luís Barros and Jorge Marques. The band is one of several acts using the name Tarantula, but this group is the Portuguese metal band associated with heavy metal, power metal, progressive rock and thrash metal.

History

The band begins as a project by the Barros brothers, who are still children when they start dreaming of a musical career. After early concerts in Portugal and Germany and two demo tapes, the group signs its first record deal in 1987. Its self-titled debut album is the first heavy metal album released in Portugal by a domestic band and sells out within weeks.

In 1990 the group releases Kingdom of Lusitania, which helps establish its name internationally. Although it receives further record deal offers, its domestic label Polygram does not cooperate with them, so the band continues to balance regular live work with other activities.

Rock `n` School and touring

Alongside concerts, the musicians found Rock`n`School, a rock music school. This work takes up much of their time, but the band still releases Tarantula III in 1993 and Freedom’s Call in 1995. These albums receive strong reviews in European, South American and Japanese press and lead to more touring in Portugal and Spain.

For the band’s 15th anniversary in 1995, around 15,000 people attend a major show with guest performers. In 1997 Tarantula plays concerts with acts including Manowar, Hammerfall, Gamma Ray and Jag Panzer.

AFM Records era

Light Beyond the Dark, released in 1999, is the band’s first album for AFM Records. The release show sells out the Hard Club in front of about 1,200 people, and the subsequent Tour beyond the Dark runs for more than twenty dates in Portugal, Spain and Germany. Tarantula also shares stages with Stratovarius, Motörhead, Squealer and Deep Purple, including two concerts in the Portuguese coliseums in Porto and Lisbon that each draw more than 4,000 spectators.

In 2000 the band travels to Germany to record Dream Maker with producer Tommy Newton, whose credits include Helloween, Conception, Victory and Elegy. The album includes “Dream Maker”, “Never Surrender”, dedicated to the people of East Timor, “You Can Always Touch the Sky” and “Our Destiny”. After its release the band tours Portugal and appears at festivals.

Festival appearances and later release

Tarantula headlines Noites Ritual Rock, Seixal Rock and Hypermetal Fest. In Spain it performs at Rock Machina Festival alongside bands including Gamma Ray, Rhapsody, Blaze, Symphony X, Iron Savior, Kreator and In Flames. In 2005 the band releases Metamorphosis, its third album for AFM Records. The album is produced and mixed by Thommy Newton and features cover artwork by Derek Gores.