ARI KOIVUNEN To Release Second Album In June

The winner of the Finnish national TV talent competition "Idols", 23-year-old heavy metal singer Ari Koivunen, will release his second album in Finland on June 11 via Sony BMG. Ari has been working with producer Nino Laurenne of THUNDERSTONE since March on the new CD, which, like last year's "Fuel for the Fire", is being recorded and mixed at Sonic Pump Studios.

"Fuel for the Fire" was certified double-platinum in Finland, where it has sold more than 75,000 copies to date.

A special edition of "Fuel for the Fire" was issued in Finland on November 21, featuring a live DVD and acoustic versions of two album songs ("Hear My Call" and "Angels Are Calling") as a bonus. The live DVD contains material from Ari's concerts in Helsinki last summer and as well as interview footage.

Koivunen performed a "medley" of his songs "Fuel For The Fire" and "Hear My Call" at the Emma Gaala (Finnish Grammy equivalent) on March 8 at Kulttuuritalo in Helsinki.

Footage of the performance, which was broadcast on the Finnish channel YLE TV2 (along with the rest of the awards ceremony), can be viewed below.

Koivunen was nominated in the "Best Male Vocalist", "Debut Album of the Year" and the "Audience's Choice - Best Finnish Artist" categories at the Emma Gaala but came away empty-handed.