Tarot – Interview –
Interview
Hello and welcome to Acier Doux Metalzine , how are you doing ?
I’m doing well , Thank you .
Let’s talk first about the past, in early 80’s you and your formed Purgatory-band … what memories of those times remain in your mind and why?
Purgatory was Tarot, but our first record company didn’t like the name Purgatory and put us to change the title. Those were the days…
However, around ’86 , together with the record company, you decided to change the name of the band in Tarot. Was it just a commercial thing or what ?
As I said, the company insist the name change and they gave us some very shitty choices… Like Crusified or something. We went to take some beers and went up to Tarot.
You and your brother formed Tarot back in 1984 if I am not wrong, what goals and intentions did you have for the band back then ?
We were Purgatory. We did a huge amount of warming up gigs for the top ten bands in that time. Without the record deal about 20 gigs for the sold out gigs and the grapevine came around. It made all this happen. Record companies called to us and we got the chance to make our first album in 1986.
You and your brother had formed several other bands earlier on, could you tell me a little about them? What musicians did you play with back then ?
Actually we haven’t had so much different REAL bands back in early days. I had some stupid punk rock shit and bro had his. It was more punk than metal as well. But when we put two idiots together, everything started to rule.
Tell us , why Tarot stop to rock us ?
Our drummer Pecu Cinnari died last Autumn by symtoms of ALS. He was the main force of drumming in 30 years and some of our band is not ready to take steps forward now on. We need time and hopefully we are coming on stronger than ever someday.
Tarot have changed record companies a few times during the years, what is different when it comes to working with Spinefarm compared to your former labels ?
After the two first albums we noticed the company fucked us and took the money, so it was right to leave them. Next we went on Bluelight and they save us. Did all contacts for foreign countries, but later their abilities weren’t not enough to do this world wide. Spinefarm helped us for Finnish markets, but went down to drain out Finland by their Universals shit deals. We were so disappointed. Kingfoo took us and we got license deal with Nuclear Blast. Where we are still.
Introduce us Tarot the currently members, their roles and unusual and odd habits ?
We all are on ice-hockey. Me, Janne and Pecu played on veteran series, I still do. We love F1. We are fastest people on the earth, heh heh! Janne is most mellow studio master. Bro is too much to do this all, kinda guy. Pecu was no prob of tomorrow guy. I’m the stressed one .
Before we’ll talk about your latest album, let’s talk still about the past … your first full-length “ Spell of Iron ” was released in 1986 and the latest “ The Spell of Iron MMXI ” in 2011 , and in between there’re many studio albums, a couple of live albums and singles. Which one of those was the most important one, for your career, and why ?
For me, ” To Live Forever ” album is most important. Janne came in the band and we have had 5 years no record deal situation, so the album was long and show all our pain and pleasure. Janne’s role in the band put all bit and pieces together and there was no return. We needed the keyboard player instead of second guitarist.
How has your sound changed during these years ? and how you would describe your “genre” ?
Of course our sound has developed a lot, but the main Tarot thing is there still. One of the reasons we re-did our first, was Janne being in the band. He was a huge fan of Tarot and visited on many gigs back in late 80’s. MMXI is the great example of the material, if we have composed it today with Janne. Don’t blame us, we still have right s of our own songs and we can do what we want
From where do you take the ideas for song lyrics ?
I did some of the lyrics for the first, but after, we mad the decicion, bro do the rest. Actually we have no slightest idea what he’s is singing about, he heh !
What are Tarot’s future plans and dreams that still are waiting to come true ?
When few of us of our band are getting over of Pecu’s past away, we can start to compose new material. Actually we have almost the next album shit there demoed.
And now the last question … Tell me your greetings to your fans and Acier Doux readers … Thanks for the answers Sir !!
Hello there Tunisia ! Feet in the mud, fists in the sky !
Interviewer : Speedskullcrusher
