Ex-MEGADETH Bassist JAMES LOMENZO To Replace PAUL GRAY On HAIL! Tour

May 26, 2010

With three weeks of dates booked throughout Europe and Asia, HAIL! — the supergroup featuring mainstays Tim "Ripper" Owens (BEYOND FEAR, YNGWIE MALMSTEEN, ex-JUDAS PRIEST, ICED EARTH),David Ellefson (MEGADETH) and Andreas Kisser (SEPULTURA) — has announced that it will not cancel its tour in the wake of its bassist Paul Gray's (SLIPKNOT) untimely death.

The band has released the following statement regarding the matter:

"On Monday we were dealt a devastating blow with Paul's passing two days before our departure. We discussed the situation and unanimously thought that in the face of this tragedy we needed to remain strong and push forward because Paul would have vehemently insisted that the show must go on. In a desperate situation we made an emergency call to James Lomenzo and James responded with a Herculean effort, on only one day's notice, to fly to Portugal and rescue the Rock In Rio festival. His immediate and unselfish call to arms single-handedly saved this entire tour."

James Lomenzo has had a long and very successful career, having played with WHITE LION, OZZY OSBOURNE, BLACK LABEL SOCIETY and, most recently, MEGADETH.

HAIL! has epitomized the old-school unity and brotherhood of the metal culture that its bandmembers have all grown out of and this is another example of that close-knit circle of friends coming together to help in a time of need.

HAIL! tour dates:

May 30 - Lisbon, Portugal - Rock In Rio Festival
Jun. 01 - Novosibirsk, Siberia - Izjum
Jun. 02 - Tomsk, Siberia - Fakal
Jun. 03 - Omsk, Siberia - Kristall
Jun. 04 - Ekaterinburg, Russia - TeleClub
Jun. 05 - Moscow, Russia - Tochka
Jun. 06 - Kiev, Ukraine - Bingo
Jun. 08 - Helsinki, Finland - Dante's Highlight
Jun. 09 - Tallin, Estonia - Rock Cafe
Jun. 11 - Kouvala, Finland - House Of Rock
Jun. 12 - Tampere, Finland - Sauna Open Air Festival
Jun. 14 - Madrid, Spain - Rock In Rio Festival

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