Swedish black metallers MARDUK were missing from the first dates on the current Blackenedfest Tour, also featuring MAYHEM, CEPHALIC CARNAGE, CATTLE DECAPITATION and WITHERED.

Marduk explain: "The situation with Marduk not having performed during the first week of Blackenedfest is due to Mortuus, the vocalist, not having received his visa yet.

It is not a "denied" visa. The band filed for a P-1 non-immigrant work visa, which is required for a band to play in the states. The visa was APPROVED by the United States Government's Homeland Security Office.

Furthermore, as required, the band members each individually went to their Visa appointments at the US Embassy in Stockholm for the standard interview, at which point the persons handling the band's applications informed the band that there was no further action needed and that they should expect their passports in the mail with the P-1 visa attached.

Everyone in the band received theirs except Mortuus.

The day before tour, while the rest of the band were at the airport awaiting to board their flights to the US, Mortuus returned to the embassy to inquire as to the location of his passport. At this point he was informed that he was missing one document in order to finalize the visa.

No one in the band, nor the label, was made aware of this missing form. After we were made aware of this missing document, we provided the document to the Embassy in Stockholm and we are currently awaiting each day for the Passport to be returned to Mortuss with the visa stamp. The Embassy is aware of the urgency of this matter and we expect the band to join the tour in progress any day now.

Marduk are prepared to make up the shows they missed immediately after Blackenedfest ends. These dates will be announced upon the band's arrival in the US. We are staying on top of the situation each day and hope to announce the arrival of the band soon."

Remaining Blackenedfest dates include:

May

29 - Albuquerque, NM - Sunshine Theater
30 - Tempe, AZ - Clubhouse
31 - San Diego, CA - House Of Blues

June

2 - Hollywood, CA - House Of Blues
3 - San Francisco, CA - DNA
4 - Portland, OR - Hawthorne Theatre
5 - Seattle, WA - Studio Seven
6 - Boise, ID - Knitting Factory Concert House
7 - Denver, CO - Gothic Theater
9 - St Paul, MN - Station 4
11 - Chicago, IL - House Of Blues
12 - Cleveland, OH - Peabody's
13 - Detroit, MI - The Majestic Theater
14 - Toronto, ON - The Opera House
15 - Montreal, QC - Les Foufounes Electriques