BLIND GUARDIAN, GAMMA RAY, ANGRA Confirmed For PROGPOWER USA III

February 26, 2002

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

ATLANTA'S PROGPOWER USA III ANNOUNCES DATES AND LINEUP FOR 2002 FESTIVAL

ATLANTA - ProgPower USA III, Atlanta's third annual progressive and power metal festival, has been announced for Friday, November 15 and Saturday, November 16 at Earthlink Live.

Confirmed bands include a number of artists making their first US appearances, including Germany's BLIND GUARDIAN, Brazil's ANGRA, Germany's GAMMA RAY, and the UK's THRESHOLD.

“With great enthusiasm we are looking forward to our first US appearance ever,” said BLIND GUARDIAN vocalist Hansi Kursch. “We really feel privileged and greatly honored to headline one of the finest and best US Metal Festivals. This festival will be our first opportunity to present us as one of the most intense and exciting metal bands around in these days.”

Added GAMMA RAY's Kai Hansen: “We're absolutely looking forward to playing the US for the first time and bringing the American metalheads something different from Germany other than Schnitzel and Sauerkraut. We're expecting to have a ball with a lot of people that are ready to rock and have a good time singing, screaming, raising hands and shirts (girls only) and banging brains out.”

Sweden's PAIN OF SALVATION, fresh off of an opening spot on the DREAM THEATER European tour, will be making their third trip to the States. Germany's EDGUY will also be returning to the U.S. for the second time. America's own READING ZERO, the only independent band on the roster, has secured one of the opening slots. Three roster spots are still to be confirmed over the coming weeks.

“I'm thrilled with this year's lineup, as I truly believe it is the best roster for progressive and power metal ever assembled in the U.S.,” said the event's organizer, Glenn Harveston.

Tickets will go on sale July 1 via all TicketMaster outlets. Only 850 two-day passes will be available to the public at a cost of $80 each.

ProgPower USA, an international affiliate of ProgPower Europe located in the Netherlands, was created to attract the top names in both the progressive and power metal genres. The first event was held at a small bar in Lansing, Ill., in February 2001 and featured the first U.S. appearance of PAIN OF SALVATION. The 350-capacity show sold out three months in advance. Due to popular demand, a second event was held in November 2001 and featured the most unique progressive and power metal roster in the States to date (SYMPHONY X, KAMELOT, ARK, EVERGREY, ANGEL DUST, SPIRAL ARCHITECT, plus others). The attendance increased in size to 750 with a crowd coming from 38 states and 15 countries.

ProgPower USA has various promotional opportunities for vendors, labels, and bands in the metal market. For more information and full details visit www.progpower.com.

ProgPower USA III is sponsored by Guitar Center in Marietta, Ga.

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