HAIL! To Play First Metal Concert Ever In Beirut

The all-star band HAIL! — comprised of bassist David Ellefson (MEGADETH, F5),singer Tim "Ripper" Owens (JUDAS PRIEST, YNGWIE MALMSTEEN, ICED EARTH),guitarist Andreas Kisser (SEPULTURA) and newly announced sticksman Paul Bostaph (TESTAMENT, SLAYER, EXODUS, FORBIDDEN) — will be the first-ever international heavy metal act to play live in Lebanon. On November 20, HAIL! will perform at Hektic Hall in the capital city of Beirut.

"Breaking ground on an international level is what HAIL! is all about," explained manager Mark "Abba" Abbattista.

"When we first started discussing the idea of HAIL!, we wondered how far we could actually push the reality of a dream. Anybody can come up with a good idea, but to create a model that no one else has ever before conceived and then to execute that plan to the level that we have makes our chests swell with pride."

David Ellefson added, "This truly is a monumental occasion — to do something for the first time ever is a rare and special opportunity. I can't believe that it was 25 years ago, but remember how astounding it was when IRON MAIDEN went behind the Iron Curtain and played in the Eastern Bloc? I relate it to that and I am thrilled to be a part of something that has this kind of historic significance."

When confronted with any possible political backlash, Abbattista spoke from personal experience. "None of us are strangers to the world," he said. "MEGADETH played one of the first concerts ever in Northern Ireland years ago, Ripper is in Paraguay today, SEPULTURA has broken ground all over Asia, the Middle East, South America, even Africa and I was involved in a project called Music Bridges which was the first time Americans had been allowed in Cuba in almost fifty years. Obviously, we are aware of the ongoing tensions throughout the Middle East but we have learned from our previous experiences that music transcends all the boundaries that geography, language, religion and politics create."

Ellefson continued: "We're just a fun-loving metal band; we have no agenda. We all come from very different backgrounds and no matter where we are playing, everybody in the building shares the same music. Music is the message. We all love the same music and that's the beauty of unity…that's the beauty of HAIL!"

Asked how Bostaph came to play with HAIL!, Ellefson replied, "After Jimmy DeGrasso became unavailable due to his touring commitments with ALICE COOPER, Roy Mayorga came aboard and just slammed for us. His playing throughout the Scandinavian dates was unbelievable, but now he's heading back into the studio with STONE SOUR, so he's unavailable for the next round of shows. We immediately thought of Paul. With Alex Skolnick out playing with TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA a small window opened in the TESTAMENT schedule where Paul became available and we jumped at the opportunity."

Kisser chimed in, "Come on, he's Paul Bostaph! Think about it, he's played with three of the greatest thrash bands of all-time, SLAYER, TESTAMENT and EXODUS. What symbolizes more of the spirit of HAIL! than that?! It's an honor to play with him."

Ripper added, "Our goal is to make every HAIL! show a special once-in-a-lifetime event. We strive to make every show different and no two shows have been the same. Look at our set lists on this last run; we must have played 15-20 new songs and half of them we never even rehearsed! I even played a guitar solo one night! We had guest jams with friends from DIMMU BORGIR, MERCYFUL FATE, GORGOROTH, MESHUGGAH, DRAIN STH, KING DIAMOND and we want every fan to know that what they experience at a HAIL! concert will never happen again. We will continue to keep it fresh and exciting and playing with Paul will certainly do that."

Bostaph shared his excitement: "To play with Tim, Andreas and Dave? Talk about an honor, these guys are metal gods! I thought it was super-cool when I first heard about HAIL! and what they were doing. Now to be a part of it is amazing. I'm really looking forward to it and can't wait."

Video footage of HAIL!'s September 7, 2009 concert at the Rock in Copenhagen, Denmark can be viewed below (courtesy of "Metalex1982").

For up-to-the-minute news on HAIL!, visit the band's new web site at www.myspace.com/hailofficial.