HAIL! Added To ROCK IN RIO MADRID

HAIL! — the supergroup featuring David Ellefson (MEGADETH),Mike Portnoy (DREAM THEATER),Andreas Kisser (SEPULTURA) and Tim "Ripper" Owens (JUDAS PRIEST, YNGWIE MALMSTEEN, ICED EARTH) — has been confirmed for this year's Rock in Rio Madrid festival, which will take place over two six days — June 4-5, June 10-12 and June 14 — at Rock City, a 200,000-square-meter (50-acre) area in Arganda del Rel, 17 km (10 miles) from Madrid, Spain. The band will join METALLICA and MOTÖRHEAD on the festival's final day, June 14.

Commented HAIL!: "To play a festival this big with these unbelievable bands is super-exciting and an honor.

"MOTÖRHEAD and METALLICA are two huge influences on all of us — so much of an influence that we have opened every HAIL! show with MOTÖRHEAD's 'Ace Of Spades' and closed every HAIL! show with METALLICA's 'Whiplash'.

"As we haven't played in Spain or Portugal yet (HAIL! are also performing at Rock in Rio in Lisbon on May 30),we can't wait to play there and are looking forward to drinking a beer with all of our fans.

"We are in the process of confirming another 8-10 shows during the two weeks in between the Rock In Rio festivals and we will announce those dates real soon."

According to Billboard.biz, tickets for Rock in Rio Madrid went on sale on February 23 at the central Madrid El Corte Ingles department store, which is one of the festival sponsors. Many fans slept outside the store in the street before it opened at 10 a.m., and by 4 p.m. more than 32,000 tickets had been sold at €69 ($93).

Rock in Rio was founded in Rio de Janeiro in January 1985, and subsequent events in Lisbon and Madrid have been arranged by Brazilian founder Medina. This will be the second Rock in Rio Madrid. The first, in 2008, was attended by 290,000 fans.

In a recent interview with D.X. Ferris of the Cleveland Scene, HAIL! vocalist Tim "Ripper" Owens said that Ellefson's return to MEGADETH may force HAIL! — which also features SEPULTURA guitarist Andreas Kisser and DREAM THEATER drummer Mike Portnoy — to go on hiatus.

"It puts a wrench in things," said Owens, adding, "We're not sure for now" whether the planned HAIL! shows in March and April will go on. Says the singer, it's not simply a matter of finding someone who can play headbanger favorites from MOTÖRHEAD to METALLICA. "It's a matter of whether the promoter wants it. They [want] a name-all-star metal band. We could fill the position, but not with a name nobody knows. We talked to some people, like Frank Bello [from ANTHRAX and HELMET]. And anybody's who's a name is busy."

Regarding Ellefson's reunion with MEGADETH, Owens said the HAIL! members are just as surprised as the rest of the metal world.

"I gotta be honest," said Owens. "I'm over the moon that he's back in MEGADETH. I think it's a great thing for MEGADETH, for Ellefson, and for [Dave] Mustaine. Everybody's happy for David. It's just bad timing."

On January 27, photographer Jeremy Saffer did a photo shoot with HAIL! in Foxboro, Massachusetts.

Behind-the-scenes footage from the shoot can be viewed below.

For more information on the photo shoot, go to this location.