Alex Van Halen has revealed that he’s presently engaged on a brand new album with Toto guitarist Steve Lukather, fueling hypothesis about the way forward for unreleased Van Halen music. Or at the very least possibly a brand new band?
The legendary drummer and Van Halen co-founder appeared on the Metal Sticks podcast hosted by Iron Maiden drummer Nicko McBrain, the place he mentioned his latest and ongoing musical tasks. “I am preparing to do that document with Lukather and a few different individuals,” Alex mentioned. “It needs to be thrilling.”
Whereas Van Halen didn’t make clear whether or not the challenge is meant to be a Van Halen album or a separate collaboration, the announcement instantly reignited curiosity within the band’s intensive archive of unreleased materials. Van Halen haven’t issued a studio album since 2012’s A Totally different Variety Of Reality and have remained inactive for the reason that dying of Eddie Van Halen in 2020, following issues from throat most cancers. He was 65.
The collaboration with Lukather is no surprise given his shut friendship with Eddie Van Halen. A report from Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf last year advised that Alex was working with Lukather on unfinished Van Halen recordings. “[Eddie] and Steve Lukather had been superb mates and so they usually labored collectively,” Alex mentioned on the time. “There isn’t any one who can do that course of with me in addition to he can.”
Lukather later confirmed the report, saying: “Did Alex say that? Oh, in that case the information is true. Ed, Alex and I had been very shut for years. It’s true that we labored on it collectively.”
Nevertheless, Lukather then walked his statements again on his Instagram, saying: “For the document: Ever since Alex Van Halen dropped some we had been gonna work collectively I feel there’s a enormous misunderstanding.
“I’ll NOT EVER play a guitar be aware on a VH tune ever!. Al requested me to assist him go via a ton of unfinished recordings of Al and Ed writing and recording that by no means noticed the sunshine of day. As of now thats all I bought.
“The truth that ANYONE would suppose for even a second that I might play something on that is ridiculous. I’ve an excessive amount of love and respect for that and … I play nothing like Ed.. extra as a co-producer or one thing. I’m honored Al would ask me although.”
Alex has beforehand said that the Van Halen vault incorporates sufficient high-quality materials for a number of albums. Talking on the Speak Is Jericho podcast, he estimated there could possibly be “three or 4” extra Van Halen data price of music.
“I’ve talked about it loosely, and I’m slightly superstitious, however I can say a few issues that I’ve talked about earlier than. We’re gonna undergo the ‘vault’ and undergo a number of the musical concepts that had been there.”
He added: “There was some great things in there. And it’s a must to keep in mind, when within the thick of it, typically the actually nice stuff type of passes you by. And it isn’t till you revisit it going, ‘Whoa, I forgot about that. This kicks ass.’ However that takes time. And also you wanna do it proper. I wanna do it proper.”
In 2024, Alex launched the total six-minute model of “Unfinished,” the ultimate tune he wrote with Eddie, as a part of the audiobook version of his memoir Brothers.
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