Tarot - Glimpse of the Dawn

Angry Metal Guy

Eight years between a debut and sophomore album is a lifetime for a band. Members can leave, personalities can change, influences can shift. Australia’s Tarot unveiled its first full-length release in 2016, drawing inspiration from the likes of Uriah Heep and Rainbow. Now they’re primed for Glimpse of the Dawn, a sophomore release nearly a decade in the making. But 50 years between a scene’s heyday and bands now imitating the style? That’s a literal lifetime for many humans. As much as this may wound my parents, the 70s were a long time ago. So what do I make of Tarot’s anachronous sound?

Tarot is steeped in the rocking swagger of the 1970s, drawing clear influence from the aforementioned bands in a similar fashion to Hällas. It falls somewhere in the hard rock / proto-heavy metal gap. Sure, the guitars are the priority but the sound is rounded out with an obligatory Hammond organ, cool drum fills and smooth vocals. While Glimpse of the Dawn isn’t overtly progressive, the organ, mellotron, and surprisingly technical riffs tap into the same progressive vein that its influences use. Such fusions of rock music are hardly innovative but the result is just as fantastical as it always was. “The Vagabond’s Return” exemplifies Tarot’s qualities, boasting jaunty riffs, expressive harmonies, an energetic tone, and other-worldly concepts. It evokes an era of music that was deliberately not grounded in reality. Why did popular music become so obsessed with depictions of reality? I enjoy creative escapism, even if the consequence is grandiose, ridiculous nonsense. Glimpse of the Dawn is tired of normal and prefers adventure.

More than mere adventure, Tarot offers nourishment for the heart and brain. My emotions enjoy the 70s warmth and fantasy spectacle, while my thoughts enjoy the layered compositions and technical but not nerdy leads. There are loads of great riffs distributed throughout; little moments that make you go “fuck yeah!” In particular, the lead on the title track and the lick from 4:00 on “Dreamer in the Dark” excel. These moments all orient around the guitar, whether riffs, solos or transitions. Glimpse of the Dawn is a guitar-heavy album in its run-time and quality. The guitars are everywhere on the record, but the album’s strengths are all guitars too. The back half of “The Winding Road” is a guitarist’s wet dream, fusing delightfully groovy leads with frenzied solos and badass harmonies. The vocals are relatively limited by comparison to avoid distracting from the real draw here. Tarot makes technical instrumentation sound easy, and that partly derives from the lively, organic-sounding production. The roomy master and spacious mix give ample breathing room to the warm drums, light keyboards, and crunchy guitars.

Glimpse of the Dawn therefore has a lot going for it, across themes, feel, riffs, and production. But it’s also the case that all tracks follow the same style and sound. There are no curveballs or unexpected inclusions. Moreover, the vocals are solid but not outstanding, either in technical ability or melodic strength. So many of the 70s greats had standout singers or catch vocal melodies spread across their albums. Tarot has a decent singer and decent vocal melodies but they’re fairly average compared with the guitars. The result is that the songs don’t always sound incredibly distinct; the band knows stays within its comfort zone. This may flow from the improv-led way in which the album was recorded. It’s easier to jam out some cool guitar leads than some cool vocal leads.

Still, this is a fairly minor quibble in the face of a release that does a lot to inject joy into my brain. Glimpse of the Dawn makes me weep for a bygone era when guitar music reigned supreme and ordinary folk might have heard stuff like this on the radio. It may only be a sophomore full-length but it sounds like the assured, confident output of a far more productive group. The best music invokes an emotional response and Tarot taps into my emotions by leaning into the fantasy and escapism of my favorite 70s rock bands. You’ve no choice but to listen to this if you enjoy 70s rock like I do.



Rating: 3.5/5.0
DR: 9 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Cruz del Sur
Website: bandcamp.tarot.com
Releases Worldwide: April 12th, 2024

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