ProgPower USA XII returns to Center Stage in Atlanta, Georgia, September 14th - 17th, and DREAM EVIL have officially cancelled their planned appearance at the festival. They have issues the following statement:

"First of all, we can’t describe our frustration in this sad matter. We can’t come to Progpower for the show on September 17 because we had problems getting our visas.We did all we could yesterday August 18th when we all took the day off from our jobs and went by car over five hours in the worst rain storm in years to Stockholm for a visit at the American embassy for the interview which is necessary for the visa. After waiting in the long line of people for over four hours at the embassy, they told us that we had applied for the wrong kind of visa. We asked them politely to help us change the application so that we could get the right type of visa but they told us that we had to go back and do it all over again. As the booking for the interviews are made a long time in advance, we then checked to find out that there were no available spots for new interviews until late September and that is too late. This sucks! We paid a lot of money for the visa applications and for the trip to Stockholm, all for nothing, and the worst part of all is that we can’t come to Atlanta on September 17. At this time the American embassy has blocked us from travelling to the US before September 17th, so we are not able to come to the US at all until after the festival. We’re so sorry and so frustrated and there is nothing we can do. To all the fans and the promoter at Progpower, we’re really really sorry."

ProgPower USA Promoter, Glenn Harveston, is less than impressed and has issued the following statement here regarding the situation. It can be viewed in its entirety below:

"Unbelievable.

The basic steps involved in securing a visa:

1. Complete the nightmare known as the 'application process' here in the States. That is the most difficult part and is where bands are denied frequently based on background checks, etc.

2. Once approved, the band schedules their interviews via an online application.

3. They take the approval notice, complete a mundane interview process and get their visa stamps.

In ten years, I have never had a single band have a problem with the interview portion of the overall process.

Dream Evil found a way to screw things up for everyone.

The band was officially approved by the U.S. government on April 4th, 2011. I emailed a scanned copy of the approval the next day. I also mailed the actual notice the same week as well. The band received both. Everything is normal. I then check with the band on June 1st regarding an invoice for their visa interviews. I was told they haven’t scheduled them yet.

What?

Nothing I could do. They know what has to be done. I check back in July and was told they had an interview for the first week of August. That is still six weeks out so plenty of time. I check back the first week of August and was told that the interviews were rescheduled for August 18th.

What?

I emailed the agent on the 18th and was informed that three members of the band were denied visas. They evidently checked the P-2 visa type instead of the P-1 type that is clearly written on the approval notice and were thus sent to a different interview at the consul. They were then told that they could re-submit the interview application and do it again….but the next available opening was at the end of September.

Screwed.

I feel very sorry for the fans that were traveling specifically to see the band. Please direct your piss and vinegar at them, not me.I have little sympathy for them. They may have wasted a day, but I wasted a year.

Needless to say, I have been scrambling like hell for the last 48 hrs...

I’m very pleased to announce that reactivated metallers FORBIDDEN have been confirmed as the replacement. Kings of the second wave of the Bay Area Thrash scene, Forbidden were most popular during the late 80’s and early 90’s for their brand of technical thrash metal infusing odd signature timing with melodies, making them one of the most original metal bands of the time."