Forté was founded in Oklahoma City in 1987 by brothers Jeff and Greg Scott and were in time joined by bassist Ghames "Rev" Jones and ex-Oliver Magnum vocalist, James Randel. In the early stages Forté played an abundant of shows quickly establishing themselves within the flourishing underground metal scene by opening for bands like Pantera, Dream Theater, Fates Warning, Watchtower, Overkill, Savatage and Trouble. After spending time on the road hammering out and fine tuning everything they recorded and released their (now) classic 'Dementia By Design' demo tape in 1989. It was both fan and critic favorite and their popularity began to spread worldwide as it went on to sell a stunning 1,500 copies. The demo's title track was even featured on Metal Blade Records' 'Metal Massacre' series giving the band even more exposure which they certainly used to their advantage.

Not wanting to slow the building momentum they delivered an impressive showcase at the Foundations Forum. Germany's Massacre Records was in attendance and quickly signed Forté to their first recording contract. Their debut, 'Stranger Than Fiction', was released in 1992 stunning both critics and their ever expanding fan base with its intensity, speed, power and excellent use of melody. 'Stranger Than Fiction' has been unavailable for years and with the line-up back together and prepping a new album for release in 2011 we decided it was time to re-release this classic slab of melodic/power/thrash metal. Working in conjunction with the band we were able to unearth two original Forté demo tapes for inclusion on this new deluxe edition to make it the most comprehensive collection of their early years.

Source: Divebomb Records