Tarot

Tarot is a Finnish heavy metal band from Kuopio, formed in 1985 and active to the present day. The group begins as Purgatory in the early 1980s, before changing its name when it gets a record deal. Its core line-up settles around Marco Hietala on bass and vocals, Zachary Hietala on guitar, Mako H. on guitar and Pecu Cinnari on drums, with Janne Tolsa later joining on keyboards and replacing Mako H. as second guitarist. Tommi Salmela also becomes a formal band member after performing with the group for more than ten years.

Career

The band issues the single The Wings of Darkness in 1986 and releases its first album, Spell of Iron, that same year. Rose on the Grave follows in 1987, then Follow Me Into Madness in 1988. After that album the band pauses for a period, before returning with To Live Forever in 1993. A live album is recorded at Tavastia Club in Helsinki and first released in Japan in 1994, with some of its songs later appearing on a limited bonus disc with Stigmata. After another break, For the Glory of Nothing appears in 1998, and the compilation Shining Black is also issued in Japan that year.

Tarot later resumes activity with occasional live appearances while Marco Hietala is also active in Conquest and Sinergy, and performs in the cover group Metal Gods. Hietala joins Nightwish in 2002, which brings wider attention to Tarot as well. In 2003 the Shining Black compilation is released more widely, and the band signs a new deal with Spinefarm Records for Suffer Our Pleasures. The album performs well in Finland, though distribution outside the country is limited. A collection covering the first six albums is later issued with bonus material, including demos, live recordings, special versions and covers, with some remixed tracks. The single You follows in 2006 and reaches number one in the Finnish charts, the band’s first chart-topper. That same year Tarot releases Crows Fly Black.

Line-up and related work

Alongside the core members, Janne Tolsa also plays keyboards for Virtuocity’s Secret Visions album, while Marco Hietala contributes vocals to some tracks on that recording. Tolsa also works with Eternal Tears of Sorrow and performs extensively with Turmion Kätilöt. Tarot’s later releases appear through KingFoo Entertainment in Finland and Nuclear Blast in Europe.