SPEED OF LIGHT

Reviewed by Matej Kimlicka

Forgotten Tales - The Promise

This CD was one of the big expectations last year. The band-manager reported, that goes about the best power metal band from Canada, which played with NIGHTWISH... And in the band sings the soprano-female vocalist with voice like Timo Kotipelto from STRATOVARIUS and CD sound will be like AVANTASIA... The expectation was big, I awaited some new NIGHTWISH or similar. As the CD arrived I enjoyed at great music. And what I have found? It's good, but other as awaited. One is sure: FORGOTTEN TALES is really the best canadian metal band I have ever heard! Melodic power metal european school, the right one! No "american" influences there, all is OK, like it shall be. The music is played mainly in power/melody style, although the speed metal parts didn't absent.

The vocalist Sonia Pineault is sopranist, but she never sings opera (I was warned, because she don't want copy NIGHTWISH)! His voice is somewhere between Elisa Martin from DARK MOOR and Timo Kotipelto. Quiet interesting voice, in metal uneven, high-quality, but unfortunately not opera. Others guilt from infos essentially: the sound is really good, which have european bands (not recorded in Finnvox), I can say AVANTASIA too (the sound is few clean). The music is on high level, guitar, keyboards and drums well played. Musically is the CD more "heavy" as speed, I would define it as the best of SINERGY, plus a little influence of south-european bands and the own work. But sometimes keyboards plays similar to SONATA ARCTICA. The vocals are dominant. Sonia often "beats" the music. It's similar like Tarja by NIGHTWISH. The only one "The promise" album slip is that it's not music and vocals perfect in tune, like f.e. by DARK MOOR, NIGHTWISH etc. It's a little step from perfection yet, but the album is really good. The music isn't so simple and fast to memorable, but it's not fault. The CD contains also originaliy, it's really nice debut - unbelievable for selfproduction! It's really fresh wind on metal scene, the second album should be godly. I don't wonder, that FORGOTTEN TALES are very popular in Canada, because the classical amruican metal has no chance... CD should be (I don't know if really) distributed through Spinefarm into the Europe.

Note : 8/10