Tarot - Gravity of Light

Title: Gravity of Light
Artist: Tarot
Genre: Metal
Release Date: 23rd April 2010
Label: Nuclear Blast



Album Review

This album screams to life with guttural vocals as 'Satan is dead' drags you out of your seat and throttles you into heavy metal submission. It's an impressive opening track with quite enough careful arrangement to let you know that this band know what they're about. 'Hell knows' has a very soft and sophisticated start to it as ethereal synths cascade across hard metal riffs. The vocals on this are breathtaking as is the drum and guitar work. 'Rise' is another aggressive screamer of a track that has a earthier and traditional metal feel to it, proving that not everything has to be high tech and sophisticated to be good, sometimes well played hard 'n heavy is just enough.

'The pilot of all dreams' can't be mistaken for an old school track, for it is clever and contemporary in feel but it lacks nothing in terms of hardness and musical prowess whilst 'Magic and technology' is a slow, laborious yet glorious venture into a more sedate pace. 'Calling down the rain' returns to a more vibrant rhythm that forces you to take notice of it blending perfectly the great lyrics with a very singable anthem like chorus. 'Caught in the deadlights' is for me the best track on the album excepting the last. Everything about it is perfect from the soft sinister growled vocals that open up to the heavy but tuneful refrain that backs it all up. It's a master class in how to construct and perform a metal song, with searing riffs and depths of light and dark running through the whole track.

The creepy masterpiece 'I walk forever' comes next with endless and obvious sound effects and some great guitar riffs to accompany the plaintive vocals. It's a change in style somewhat but it still has the same anthem like chorus that is this band's trademark. 'Sleep in the dark' begins with an eerie church organ and ethereal distorted angelic choral work before some kicking drums and guitars blow you away along with the great vocals which have now become such a mainstay. It's rare to hear growled vocals in harmonies, but that's what happening here and it's really, really effective. 'Gone' is without doubt one of the most beautiful songs I've ever heard and is sung to perfection against the backing of acoustic guitar and yearning strings.

This is a totally unexpected start to what turns out to be a metal frenzy of despair that as quickly as it came returns to the gentlest of ballads. Mind-blowing! Fabulous album with a startlingly good end track, recommended to anyone.


Tracklist

01. Satan Is Dead
02. Hell Knows
03. Rise!
04. The Pilot of All Dreams
05. Magic and Technology
06. Calling down the Rain
07. Caught in the Deadlights
08. I Walk Forever
09. Sleep in the Dark
10. Gone


Line-up

Marco Hietala - Vocals, Bass
Zachary Hietala - Guitars
Pecu Cinnari - Drums
Janne Tolsa - Keys
Tommi Salmela - Vocals, Sampler


Website

http://www.wingsofdarkness.net/ / http://www.myspace.com/tarot


Cover Picture




Rating

Music: 9
Sound: 8
Extras:-
Total: 8.5 / 10


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