After 20 years of putting out albums for a small but loyal fanbase, Nightwish bassist/vocalist Marco Hietala’s first love, Tarot, is finally getting its due thanks to their new deal with Nuclear Blast. The smart money is on the label trying to cash in on Nightwish’s monumental success, but Crows Fly Black stands on its own merit as a top tier metal album with an identity all its own. Okay, people are going to make the foolish Nightwish comparison thanks to Hietala’s monstrous vocals, and there are the occasional (real or imagined) ‘Wish-isms, as on the intro of infectious opener ‘Crows Fly Back’ or ‘Messenger Of Gods’ (which sounds like the ugly mutant stepbrother of ‘I Wish I Had An Angel’). But beyond that, Tarot is all about old school straight-ahead no-nonsense metal. Crows Fly Black defies categorization in the spirit of classic Iron Maiden and Judas Priest; the songs are instantly memorable, each one possessing that special hook, melody, riff or arrangement that draws you in for repeat listens. ‘Traitor’, ‘Messenger Of Gods’, ‘You’ and ‘Bleeding Dust’ are the resident shredders reminiscent of old Vicious Rumors and Helloween, while Hietala redefines the term “anthem” on ‘Before The Skies Come Down’ and ‘Howl’. And it isn’t too hard to imagine Bruce Dickinson taking on the ballad ‘Tides’ for one of his solo releases, which is a compliment to Hietala’s talent as a vocalist. For those that wish he would get more airtime with Nightwish, this album’s a keeper. A damn near perfect outing with nary a dull moment, something Nightwish have yet to pull off.