Once again, Finland's traditional styled heavy metal band Tarot has got another album ready to kick off the new decade. Entitled "Gravity of Light", this release is Tarot's eighth studio album. It has been a long four year hiatus since their last album "Crows Fly Black". So was it worth the wait?
Well let me start off by saying that this album is everything every metal head wants; loud, powerful, aggressive music that will send your ass flying into next year. Like their previous albums, Tarot has kept the metal real and good, and that says a lot coming from a band who has been around for over 25 years! Their consistency is amazing, and I give them credit because most bands don't seem to want to push out the same amount of quality on every release like Tarot does! It really shows the kind of greatest Tarot is. (for more, see my main
Tarot article)
So for my first review on this blog, I decided to do a song by song review for "Gravity of Light" using a best of 5 rating:
The ratings go as follows:
0- abomination (reserved for crap music)
1- awful
2- poor
3- average
4- good
5- awesome
6- a classic (this is a rare one)
Note: The rating system is out of 5, but sometimes I rate songs a zero or a six, depending on the song.
1. Satan Is Dead- From the opening riff to the end, this is everything we expect out of Tarot; real, kick ass heavy metal! This will not disappoint any metal lover. 4/5
2. Hell Knows- A moody, slowed riffed song that doom metal fans will eat up. 4/5
3. Rise- Catchy and fun is written all over this metal number. A great chorus in this song as well. 4/5
4. Pilot of All Dreams- The fastest paced song on the album. This song reminds me of "From the Shadows" on Tarot's "Suffer Our Pleasures" album and is guaranteed not to disappoint. 4/5
5. Magic and Technology- The opening riff is good, but I feel that it is a tad too long in the intro. Despite that, it is a good "90's" feel song. 3/5
6. Calling Down the Rain- The song is catchy, but to me, it doesn't flow as well as the other songs. Tommi does most of the singing here. 3/5
7. I Walk Forever- A nice groovy, opening riff that features a good chorus and something you can chant with. Not the best song on the album, but it works and delivers. 3/5
8. Sleep In The Dark- For me, this is the best song on the album. The riffs are crushing and brutal while Tommi and Marco give out their best vocal performances on the album. Typical Tarot greatness. 5/5
9. Caught In The Deadlights- This is just an okay song, but nothing more. 3/5
10. Gone- The album's ballad. It is very progressive flowing and features one of the most meaningful vocal performances Marco has to offer. 5/5
So, is this Tarot's best album? No. But I think it is a worthy Tarot album and this proves that Tarot isn't even close to stopping their assault in the world of metal. They still a lot left in the tank as they continue to please their fans with quality 100% heavy metal.
Pros:
-Typical Tarot quality, nothing more, nothing less
-Some very meaningful choruses and songs
-Great riffs
-Catchy songs
Cons:
-Production isn't as good or as powerful as their last two albums
-Not the best vocal performance from Marco as we have seen in years past (still very good though)
-Marco sings much less here than on previous albums (which means more parts for Tommi)
-Some very average songs (but no bad songs)
I give this album a horns up (\m/). It may not be the best Tarot CD, but it still pleases the typical metal listener. What a great way to start the decade Tarot! ROCK ON! \m/
3.5/5 overall
Speaking of Marco, he is perhaps the most underrated vocalist metal has to offer! How this man NEVER gets talked about is beyond me! He takes the influence of metal legends like Rob Halford and Ronnie James Dio and from that is able to create his own unique and distinctive metal voice. He also has great bass sound and his skills are good in that respect too! Marco also sings and performs in many other bands/projects as well such as Nightwish, ex-Sinergy, Northern Kings, and so on. The man not only has a set of godly pipes, but is able to perform in multiple bands too. A very talented person indeed!
His brother, Zachery, is another person worth mentioning. His guitar skills are very underrated and undermined too. While not the most technical guitarist ever, he still is able to pull off some creative sounds on his guitar and some very excellent sounding leads! He also plays guitar in the Finnish symphonic metal band, Marenne.
Janne Tolsa is the keyboardist for Tarot who first appeared on their third album, "To Live Forever". While replacing their other guitarist, Mako, Janne brought a new sound to Tarot and with this gave them more distinctiveness as a group. He also plays keyboard for the Finnish symphonic death metal band Eternal Tears of Sorrow and for symphonic metal band Marenne with fellow band mate Zachary Hietala.
Their sampler/vocalist Tommi Salmela also has an important role in Tarot. Since his arrival in 1996, he has been important for their sound and has even taken over the role for vocals when needed for Marco. On their albums, he sounds great in unison with Marco. He sounds amazing live as well if you watch Tarot's live DVD "Live Undead". 
