TARANTULA - Symphonic Prog • Spain

Tarantula biography (http://www.progarchives.com/artist.asp?id=2684)

Founded in Valencia, Spain in 1973 - Disbanded in 1978

Tarantula was one of the many prog bands that emerged in the second half of the Seventies, speerheaded by known Spanish formations like Triana, Blogue and Granada. They started as a quintet, led by keyboard player Vicente Guillot. The melodic, very pleasant sound on their eponymous debut album from 1976 is not like the flamenco inspired groups as Triana, Cai or Mezquita but more close to the Seventies Italian Symphonic Prog (dramatic vocals by Rafael Cabrera evoking Banco and Le Orme along the lush vintage keyboards with wonderful drops of the unsurpassed Mellotron) and German symphonic prog like Jane and Ramses (harder-edged guitar and powerful organ runs). In 1978 Tarantula released their second album entitled Tarantula II, the line-up has completely changed with Vicente Guillot as the only remaining original member. The music is also a different story: a harder-edged sound with a more direct approach, bringing early Uriah Heep to my mind. If you want to check out Tarantula, their first is recommended because it's in the symphonic prog tradition but with a more Italian prog touch. The strong points are the expressive vocals (with a theatrical undertone) and the varied vintage keyboards.

Tarantula

Tarantula II

LINKS

Tarantula's two albums were quite different, reflecting the great changes in the crew. They were essentially the group of keyboard player Vicente Guillot, who opted for a versatile and powerful sound usually fronted by mellotron and moog. On Tarantula's first album, he builds complex constructions competing with Gentle Giant and the serious and ambitious Italian progressive sound, with a powerful male vocalist to match it. Indeed this is an excellent album, balanced between these mighty mellotron melodramas and more plain heavy progressive rock with guitars. Elements from baroque music and Spanish folklore were thrown in for good measure.

On the second album the entire backing group had been replaced and Guillot's new formula was a lot heavier and more upbeat. Unfortunately some of their new tracks seemed like cartoon parodies of heavy rock with rampant guitars and Ana Maria's high-pitched, creaky vocals buzzin' in your ear, uttering five words per second. But between these absurdities were some more measured tracks. The first album was best, but depending on your taste in humour, you might find the second album quite hilarious.

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