Artist: TAROT
Album: THE SPELL OF IRON MMXI (LP)

Year: 1986/ 2011
Media type: LP

If you talk about Heavy Metal in Finland – you are talking about TAROT!

The legendary Heavy Metal act was founded in the early eighties by the Hietala brothers, Marco and Zachary, inspired by the NWoBHM and their love for bands like Iron Maiden, Black Sabbath, Judas Priest and others.

Soon they started to create their own songs and named their band PURGATORY, which was going through various line-up changes. Still it was their hobby, a future with intensive touring and a record deal was rather a distant dream than a concrete goal. Besides playing music, Zachary started his studies of naval mechanics, while Marco was a high school student. Along with other activities, the brothers carried on developing the band and their progress was intense.

At that time there were only a few Heavy Rock bands in Finnland and the ones existing represented Hard Rock rather than Heavy Rock. Purgatory wanted to refer to angrier and heavier bands. While Marco went to Helsinki doing bass and music theory studies in the capital, he spread the band’s name in the scene and the bands popularity started to grow.

A deal was offfered and both band and label decided to change the name into TAROT. Their first 7inch single called „Wings of Darkness“ was released in 1986. The appearance of this excellence newcomer was a surprise for the growing scene in Finnland. The single represented something fresh and new and contained novel elements like nordic freshness, desolate gallantry and skillful musicianship. Their attitude won the sympathics of the audience. Their follow up debut „Spell Of Iron“ was highly appriciated. The transparency of the opening track „Midvinter Nights“ fulfills all the promisesthed previously released single had provoked and the harsh skullness of „Love’s Not Made For My Kind“ knocks out with ist severity.

Die hard fans of TAROT still call this debut album their best one so far. It became a classsic – which the band has now – after 25 years – re-recorded, even followed by a remake of their video clip for „Wings Of Darkness“.

Till now TAROT have released eight studio albums, two live records and one best of album. In 2006 all their former records were also re-released with bonus tracks, but this new recorded version of their legendary debut tops it all. A classic that has deserved it!                 

TRACKLIST:

1 - Midwinter Nights 
2 - Dancing On The Wire 
3 - Back In The Fire 
4 - Love's Not Made For My Kind 
5 - Never Forever 
6 - The Spell Of Iron 
7 - De Mortui Nil Nisi Bene 
8 - Pharao 
9 - Wings Of Darkness 
11 - I Walk Forever (Live with choir @ Ruisrock 2010)

LINE-UP:

Marco Hietala - Bass & vocals
Zachary Hietala - Guitar
Janne Tolsa - Keyboard
Pecu Cinnari - Drums
Tommi "Tuple" Salmela - Voice, sampler