Crusade Records has announced the signing of Melbourne´s FREESTATE after discovering the band on MySpace.

"I was online one night and a friend of mine sent through a MySpace URL of a band they´d found. I had a listen and knew straight away that it was the right band for Crusade," said label boss Tom Vernette.

"Its rare that you find an act that can melt a credible and innovative sound into something that still holds the idea of having a strong melody at its heart. FREESTATE are the real deal both live and on record and its an exciting project to be on board with."

The band´s debut album "Surrender" is already in the bag and a new track from the album Twice Alive will debut on MySpace and YouTube on Monday June 4. The album hits stores in August distributed through SonyBMG.

"We´re really pleased to find a label like Crusade that really understand what we need as a band. We have the luxury of having SonyBMG as distributor but at the same time having the attention that only a boutique label like Crusade can provide," said Drew Kario, Freestate´s lead singer.

Crusade Records was formed in early 2005 and has an impressive rock and metal roster including Trivium, Bring Me The Horizon and newcomers The Mission In Motion. Freestate will be on the road throughout 2007 with dates announced shortly.