Mike Portnoy To Play With Hail! In 2010

DREAM THEATER drummer Mike Portnoy will play select dates with the all-star band HAIL! – comprised of bassist David Ellefson (MEGADETH, F5), guitarist Andreas Kisser (SEPULTURA), Tim "Ripper" Owens (JUDAS PRIEST, YNGWIE MALMSTEEN, ICED EARTH) – in 2010. HAIL! has been making a lot of noise around the world with its crushing live shows and its insistence on bringing metal to not-so-easy-to-reach places. Having just returned last month from playing one of the first metal concerts ever in Beirut, Lebanon, HAIL! has once again outdone itself. Commented Ellefson: "Mike Portnoy is a demi-god! He is hands-down one of the very best drummers in the entire world and to be able to play together is really an honor." "We have had our fingers crossed for this to happen because, truth be told, we had originally talked with him about the possibility of playing with us early last year. At that time DREAM THEATER was working on ‘Black Clouds & Silver Linings’, so it just couldn’t happen at the time, but his enthusiasm and understanding about what we as HAIL! were doing was immediate. There was no need for any explanation, he got it