Long Beach, NY-based cinematic metal band MAELSTROM have relaunched their official MySpace page to coincide with the release of their upcoming 3-song EP, It Was Predestined (Perfect Storm Recordings), out this November.

To visit their site, go here.

The band recently posted a teaser of the song 'A Futile Crusade' online. The EP's three songs ('Arise', 'A Futile Crusade' and 'Predestined'), mixed and mastered by Tue Madsen (DARK TRANQUILLITY, HIMSA, THE HAUNTED), have been re-imaginined and re-constructed from music written 20 years ago and releasing for the first time ever on CD.

The band also went out of their way to to bring their cinematic vision alive with the glorious artwork from Jan Yrlund of Darkgrove Design (KORPIKLAANI, TÝR). About the artwork's importance for the EP, singer/lyricist Gary Vosganian explains: “I originally met Jan while looking for a website designer, I happened to be checking out Manowar’s site and thought it was just killer, I found out it was done by Jan and I checked out his site, after seeing his work with Korpiklaani, Tyr, When the Empire Falls, 3HM, and countless others, I knew this was the guy to bring Maelstrom’s visual concepts to world. I contracted him to do the cover and we took off from there.

I had always envisioned the artwork to tie in very directly with the songs in both feel and in lyrical concept. I write conceptually and it is a pure fantasy tale I am telling and Jans work has fit in beautifully. My ultimate goal is to have a “cover” worthy piece of art accompanying each song which will drive the concept in visual while the lyrics tell the story and the music puts you in the environment. When all this comes to fruition I think the listener will feel like they are experiencing an entire world they have just been immersed in, and the art definitely completes that world.

For this EP, we will be featuring 2 brand new pieces from Jan which become the visual accompaniments to the songs 'Predestined' which will be the cover and for the song 'Arise'. Jan will also be laying out the CD insert. In the past I had done all of Maelstrom artwork, this time I am simply acting as art director and Jan is really creating the pieces. I did not have the time nor did I feel the talent that Darkgrove has brought to the Maelstrom family. We will be reprising a piece I had done almost 20 years ago, which was the cover of our second demo tape and it will be part of the insert in It Was Predestined.

All the art that Is produced for Maelstrom will become available as shirts or posters or possibly other pieces of merchandise, so check their MySpace for upcoming merch from the band featuring this unique and fantastic art.”

The full-length will be released sometime in 2009. Keep checking back with the band's MySpace for any more updates on the new material.