1) Tarot is a heavy metal ba… Read Full Bio ↴There are multiple artists named Tarot:
1) Tarot is a heavy metal band from Kuopio, Finland, formed in 1985.
2) Tarot is a heavy metal / hard rock band from Australia.
3) Tarot was a gothic metal band from Turin, Italy. They released the demo "The Kin & Mysterious Sorcery" in 1996.
4) Tarot was a HNW project from the UK.
1)
While having enjoyed a broad underground popularity in Finland, the band has never been very famous elsewhere until gaining new success in the recent years when their singer Marco Hietala joined Nightwish in 2002.
Tarot was originally formed by the Hietala brothers in the early 1980s. Back then the band’s name was “Purgatory”. As Purgatory reached the point when they got the record deal, the label wanted them to change their name. Since then the band has been known as Tarot. The line-up settled in to the form of Marco Hietala (bass/vocals), Zachary Hietala (guitars), Mako H. (guitars) and Pecu Cinnari (drums).
The Wings of Darkness single saw the daylight in 1986 and during that same year they released their first full length album, Spell of Iron. The next year they released Rose on the Grave. In 1988 the second Tarot album, Follow Me Into Madness, was released.
After the second album there was a hiatus in the band. During this “vacation” the line-up changed a little bit and a keyboardist was added to the band as Janne Tolsa joined Tarot, who replaced the second guitarist Mako H. After five years of silence the third album, To Live Forever, was finished in 1993. Tarot got good publicity in Japan so their first live album was released in 1994 only in Japan. The gig was recorded at Tavastia Club, Helsinki. Fortunately some of the songs from the live album were released during the next year on a limited edition bonus CD with the next studio album, Stigmata.
Again there was a hiatus and For the Glory of Nothing came out in 1998. Shining Black, a Tarot compilation album, came out in Japan the same year. After this they returned into silence, which was broken with an occasional gig. While Tarot was inactive, Marco was played in Conquest and Sinergy. He also did some gigs with other members of Conquest as a cover group “Metal Gods”. Marco also joined Nightwish in 2002 and along that, some more attention came also towards Tarot. Janne Tolsa played the keyboards for Virtuocity’s Secret Visions album as Marco sang a few songs for it. At the end of summer 2002 Tarot did a special '80s gig in Kuopio, playing material only from the first two albums.
During the year 2003 the Shining Black compilation was released again in the rest of the world. Tarot signed a new record deal with Spinefarm Records and the new studio album Suffer Our Pleasures was released. While the album did well in Finland, it received poor distribution in other countries.
During these years Marco kept busy with his other band Nightwish by recording and touring around the world. Janne did an album with Eternal Tears of Sorrow and a lot of gigs with industrial metal band Turmion Kätilöt. Early spring 2006 the late record company Bluelight Records released a collection of the band’s first six albums with a large amount of bonus material, un-released demos, live and special versions of the songs and some covers. Some of the albums were also remixed.
The fans had been expecting the re-releases for years and the collection was so successful that in May 2006 when Tarot released the new single You, it made number one on the Finnish charts for the first time in the history of the band. In the same time the band formalized their backing vocalist Tommi “Tuple” Salmela as a true band member, after being with the band more than ten years.
Tarot changed record labels again and now they work in Finland with KingFoo Entertaiment. In Europe Tarot is working with Nuclear Blast. During the summer of 2006 the band toured various clubs and festivals. In the mean time Tarot also composed, demoed and recorded new material. The album Crows Fly Black was released in 2006. Official website: http://www.wingsofdarkness.net
Grey
Tarot Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
They planted things inside me.
I am soiled by the stale thoughts of long dead.
I was told to leave childish things behind.
2+2, ABC?
Death of dreams spreading disease in my mind.
Grey, everything I see.
Open your eyes and ears little one.
The access must be free.
Injected and poisoned by information.
The blood of life turning to water.
Drowning the spark, the real me.
Choking the outside, the pressure inside,
Set me free.
Grey, everything I see.
Grey, Everything around me.
Dead, still young,
Learn from hurt.
Silent tongue,
Burning word.
Dead, still young,
-See evil.
Learn from hurt.
-Hear evil.
Silent tongue.
-Speak evil.
Burning word.
-Inside me.
Grey, everything I see.
Grey, everything around me.
The lyrics of Tarot's song "Grey" convey the experience of feeling trapped, overwhelmed, and disconnected from life. The opening line "A graveyard grows inside my head" suggests that the singer is haunted by negative thoughts and memories that have taken root and grown uncontrollably in their mind. The line "They planted things inside me" further emphasizes this idea that the singer's thoughts and beliefs have been implanted by outside sources and are now out of their control. The imagery of being "soiled by the stale thoughts of long dead" adds a layer of decay and hopelessness to the singer's internal landscape.
The second verse introduces the idea that the deluge of information and pressure to conform that the singer has been subjected to has diluted their sense of self until it is hardly recognizable. The metaphor of "Injected and poisoned by information" suggests that the singer has been force-fed a toxic narrative that has eroded their life force. The line "Choking the outside, the pressure inside" implies that the singer may feel like they are suffocating under the judgment and expectations of others.
The repeated refrain of "Grey, everything I see. Grey, everything around me." further emphasizes the desaturated, monotonous existence that the singer is living. The use of opposites in the final verse ("Dead, still young", "Silent tongue, burning word") highlights the sense of inner turmoil that the singer is experiencing - on the surface, they may appear quiet and devoid of emotion, but there is a raging fire of pain and anger inside.
Overall, "Grey" is a powerful depiction of the struggle to maintain a sense of self in a world that can be indifferent or hostile to individuality.
Line by Line Meaning
A graveyard grows inside my head.
My mind is filled with negative thoughts and emotions that feel like a cemetery.
They planted things inside me.
Negative influences and toxic people have affected me deeply.
I am soiled by the stale thoughts of long dead.
My mind is polluted by outdated beliefs and negative self-talk.
I was told to leave childish things behind.
I was taught to grow up and let go of immature attitudes.
2+2, ABC?
Death of dreams spreading disease in my mind.
The burden of education and societal expectations have put a strain on my mental well-being.
Open your eyes and ears little one.
The access must be free.
I need to be vigilant and discerning when it comes to what I let into my mind.
Injected and poisoned by information.
The constant barrage of information has left me feeling overwhelmed and disillusioned.
The blood of life turning to water.
Drowning the spark, the real me.
My passion and individuality is being suffocated by the monotony of everyday life.
Choking the outside, the pressure inside,
Set me free.
External and internal pressures are suffocating me, and I need to break free.
Dead, still young,
Learn from hurt.
My past traumas have left me feeling numb, but I am still young and have the potential to learn from them.
Silent tongue,
Burning word.
I often hold my tongue, but my internal monologue can be harsh and critical.
Grey, everything I see.
Grey, Everything around me.
My perception of the world is tinted by feelings of apathy and monotony.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind