"Hydralchemy", the follow-up to 2005's "Succumbra" by the Finnish gothic dark metallers VANGUARD, will be released in Finland on January 14, 2009 via Shadow World Records (with distribution through Supersounds Music). The limited digipak edition includes ten fresh VANGUARD tracks, and an alluring cover of TYPE O NEGATIVE's "Black No. 1". The CD was recorded and mixed during 2007 and 2008 at D-Studio in Klaukkala, Finland with engineer/producer Tonmi Lillman. It was mastered at Finnvox Studios in May 2008 by Minerva Pappi.

"Hydralchemy" track listing:

01. Pregenesis
02. Spellbroken
03. Chimera
04. Zenith
05. Scion
06. Ouija
07. Untold
08. Whisper
09. Scarlet
10. Slither
11. Black No. 1 (TYPE O NEGATIVE cover)

Full tracks "Spellbroken" and "Scion" have been added to the band's MySpace page.

VANGUARD won a band contest held by Metal Hammer magazine and Armageddon Music at the Wacken Open Air festival in 2004 and released its debut record, "Succumbra", in the summer of 2005 through Armageddon.

The band, armed with a cello, enchanting female vocals and an aggressive masculine growl, has signed a booking contract with Sam Agency, which represents POETS OF THE FALL, DON JOHNSON BIG BAND, HYBRID CHILDREN and APRIL, among others.