There was no need wind machines when Tarot, the heavy metal giants from Kuopio, mobilised the cranial body hairs of those in possession of such appendages. Small difficulties with sound adjustments were soon abolished, and during the small break the audience got to enjoy the sometimes overripe fruits of humour by the maestro Marco Hietala himself. Admittedly, some of the jokes were lost on yours truly, but never mind. It is a well-known fact that these guys’ sense of humour can be a bit odd sometimes.
The new Gravity of Light album and the following tour takes Tarot all the way to South America, and the feel of a grand tour was evident from the start. The second piece, the high-sounding I Walk Forever, inspired a furious storm of applause, a first of many yet to come.
The feelings alternated from heartfelt and sincere to more darker overtones, but the audience lived the experience wholeheartedly with their bodies and minds. Despite the pomp and grandeur, rock snobbery was nowhere to be seen. The relationship between the band and the audience resembled a mature, stable union; intimate familiarity with each other, yet with bouts of high-burning passion.
And speaking of passion, although heavy metal is usually considered to be the high fortress of masculinity, a tender kiss of one girl couple was witnessed during one of the more sentimental songs of the set. Love – what wonderful thing.
Text: Mirka Sunimento
Translation: Jari Rytkönen
