U.S. IMMIGRATION THREATENS TO DERAIL YET ANOTHER AWESOME METAL TOUR

We’re very excited about Hypocrisy upcoming U.S. tour with Children of Bodom’s Alexi Laiho on guitar. In fact, in the next forty-eight hours, we’re planning to run an interview that our own Anso DF recently conducted with Hypocrisy main dude Peter Tägtgren.

So it’s heartbreaking to report that the tour might go down the shitter, as Hypocrisy are just the latest in a long line of bands to run into trouble with U.S. immigration. A statement from the band follows:

“Due to circumstances beyond our control, we are forced to stay home until U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services process and authorize our working visas. This is the first time the band has faced a situation like this and it’s extremely frustrating, as well as depressing, since the last thing we want to do is disappoint our loyal fans who have waited years to see us live in the US. We filed for our visas with plenty of time, but as some probably don’t know, the US government has changed its rules when it comes to visas issued to artists so it’s become tougher. Even if we have already toured the US numerous times.

As it stands now, we are on stand-by mode and waiting to receive the green light. We hope it’s just a few days before that happens, in the meantime we want to apologize to all the fans that planned on going to see us tear shit up live. We will do our best to re-join the tour as soon as possible!”

So, yeah, that blows. I have no idea what’s going on with U.S. immigration as of late – I don’t seem to recall bands having this hard a time getting into the country in the past, so maybe this is a post-9/11 thing… but, just, fuck, y’know? I really want this tour to happen.

Oh well. At least the band’s wicked new album, A Taste of Extremem Divinity, came out this week.

-AR