Text by Mikko Toivola
Photos by Toni Härkönen

Old school heavy metal never dies!

It has been five long years since your previous album "For the Glory of Nothing". Why did it take so long and what have you done during these years?

We had to take a break for different reasons, Janne put up his recording/mastering studio, I had to finished my education in Mikkeli AMK and Marco had to concentrate in his family and Nightwish. So there were not enough room for Tarot that time.

How would you describe your new album "Suffer Our Pleasures"? How does it differ from the earlier Tarot albums?

You can hear continuum from older albums to this one of course. In every album we have done some progress to different aspect compared earlier ones and this is more aggressive and more straight forward than others, I think.

Traditional old school heavy metal is somehow out-of-date nowadays. Do you think it will become more popular again some day?

Old school heavy metal never dies, but it will not be the most selling style, I think. Always those newer styles will get over it and sell better, but hey, we are not prophets, althought we play in band called Tarot.

There is a Genesis cover "Mama" on your latest single "Undead Son". How did you end up with that song?

Our record company asked us to do cover song for the single and naturally everybody waits us to do some Sabbath material, but we thought what would be most unexpected song we can do, so we ended in Mama. Actually Janne and Marco has played that before in cover band called Cool Outside.

The single was #3 at the official single chart in Finland. I've heard rumours that the new album has been sold out from many record stores. Any predictions how high it will enter the official album chart?

As I said earlier, we are not prophets. It is almost impossible to say how high it will end in charts, but I know every musician in the world wants to see own material in first place, otherwise this would be meaningless. Okay, we are really satisfied if it takes place in Top-10.

Tarot is not very well known outside Finland and it seems like you have always suffered from small record label and lousy promotion. Have you ever lost your faith in Tarot's potentiality during the past hard years?

From time to time all of us has been really frustrated and I very sure it will happen again, that’s naturally for human. When things goes bad you stop to think, do this have any sense to continue, but those problems and difficulties will make you stronger, you have to keep you self confidence high.

So, "Feet in the mud, fist to the sky" must have been some kind of motto?

That’s Marco’s line in national newspaper, so you can’t consider it our motto. It reflects our emotions as well, though.

You now have a record deal with Spinefarm Records, which belongs to Universal Music Group. Do you have any expectations about big breakthrough around the world?

This is too early to say anything about that because record has been out such short time, but Spinefarm has good contacts in foreign countries and I’m very sure they will do everything what is possible.

You have finally managed to get the official website www.wingsofdarkness.net released. The battleboard has immediately been really active. Did this surprise you?

Yes indeed! It has been really great to read those mails and I like to answer peoples question as well.

Marco Hietala is also a member of Nightwish nowadays. What are the advantages and disadvantages of that? Does it cause any problems with your touring for example?

We hope it will help us in the future. I consider it is only a good for us. Maybe some puritans can find bad things of it, “Marco has sell himself for commercialism”, or some shit like that. By Nightwish success we can get more younger fans alright.

What are your biggest influences and favourite bands?

We all are much more into older school metal bands such as Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, Rainbow, Judas Priest, etc. Bands from that era you can find our roots.

What do you think about other Finnish metal bands? Any favourites?

I think we don’t count Nightwish here? We have really high standard metal bands today in Finland, I can’t speak about the boys favourites, but I like a lot Thunderstone, they are good drinking buddies.

Is there something you would like to ask from yourself? And what would be the answer?

This is bad…okay…would you change anything in your life if it is possible? Normally everybody answers not a thing, but I would change soooo many things that this section is not enough.

And the last question: What would you like to say to the listeners of SnakeNet Metal Radio?

Like Marco said: “feet in the mud, fist to the sky”! It tells a lot about our attitude and spirit, so maybe this will be our motto after all?