Tarot is a Finnish heavy metal band formed by the Hietala brothers in the early 1980s, originally under the name Purgatory. The band changed their name to Tarot at the insistence of their record label, Flamingo Records, and released their debut single "Wings of Darkness" in 1986, followed by their first full-length album "Spell of Iron" later that year. Their second album, "Follow Me into Madness", was released in 1988. After a hiatus, the band returned with a new lineup and released "To Live Forever" in 1993. They gained popularity in Japan and released their first live album "To Live Again" in 1994. The band continued to release albums throughout the 1990s and 2000s, with Marko Hietala gaining additional fame as a member of Nightwish. In 2016, drummer Pecu Cinnari passed away, leading to a hiatus for the band. However, in March 2023, it was announced that Tarot will reunite for a one-off show in July 2023, with Turmion Kätilöt drummer Antero Seppänen filling in for Cinnari. The band will also perform at Tuska Festival in June 2024.
