Forgotten Tales - The Promise (2001)

With Europe dominating power metal, some Canadians decided they wanted to join the fun, and so came Forgotten Tales. At first glance, this debut looks like they're desperately want to say "Look! We can do it too!", with such cliches as a short instrumental opening, positive fantasy lyrics, generally fast rhythms, and a four-part conclusion.
Well, they do do it too, and they do it quite well. One unusual (though not unique) aspect is they have a female singer, Sonia Pineault, who has a rich and strong voice, helping such songs as the uplifting "Cold Heart" (especially) and "Gates Beyond Reality" fly.  However, the second half of the record is not quite as good as the first, so it becomes an overall pleasing enough listen, rather than an exceptional one.
Forgotten Tales have done just two albums since this release, both of which seem to have a better reputation, so we'll see how they go from here.

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