In addition to Edling, AVATARIUM features Marcus Jidell (ROYAL HUNT, EVERGREY) on guitar, Lars Sköld (TIAMAT) on drums, Carl Westholm on keyboards and Jennie-Ann Smith on vocals.

AVATARIUM's first release will be a 12-inch mini-LP, "Moonhorse", featuring the title track, the B-side "Boneflower" as well as an acoustic cover version of BLACK SABBATH's "War Pigs". It will arrive on on September 20.

The cover artwork for "Avatarium" was Swedish artist Erik Rovamperä, who has previously worked with CANDLEMASS.

Commented Erik: "As opposed to many contemporary artists eager to express their inner emotional turmoil, my ambitions as a painter stand first and foremost from a lifelong love of hard-rockin' music and the inherently darker iconography of that genre.

"I'm seldom one to channel personal experiences in my art but rather view my work as part of the heavy metal tradition forged by likes of Derek Riggs, Ken Kelly and many more.

"In the specific chase of AVATARIUM, my sources of inspiration have come to include the heretical idolatry of the pre-Christianized cults throughout ancient Europe and esoteric allegories of the late medieval secret societies."

Jidell has the following to say about the birth of "Avatarium": "We are very proud to present the first, but not the last, AVATARIUM album to you.

"When we started to demo the songs on this album, we had one thing that we thought was extremely important: we wanted to make music that was heavy, dark and poetic. Also, we had an urge to make an album with a very organic sound and no fixing and trixing in computers but just try to make great emotional music.

"During the whole process, we have been looking for feeling rather than trying to make everything technically perfect. "I think that everything really came together the first day Jennie-Ann came in the studio and sung 'Moonhorse'. She had everything we looked for in a singer: rock 'n' roll attitude, jazz and blues feel, a big and powerful voice and yet so able to be fragile and extremely tender in her interpretation of the songs.

"If you like heavy, dark riffs and big guitars, emotional, raw and bluesy vocals, thunderous and groovy drums, I am quite sure that you'll like AVATARIUM." "Avatarium" track listing: CD:

01. Moonhorse02. Pandora's Egg03. Avatarium04. Boneflower05. Bird Of Prey06. Tides Of Telepathy07. Lady In The Lamp 2LP:

Side A

01. Moonhorse02. Pandora's Egg

Side B

01. Avatarium02. Boneflower

Side C

01. Bird Of Prey02. Tides Of Telepathy

Side D

01. Lady In The Lamp

AVATARIUM is:

Leif Edling: BassJennie-Ann Smith: VocalsMarcus Jidell: GuitarLars Sköld: DrumsCarl Westholm: Keyboards