In a new interview with Andrew Daly of Guitar Player magazine, Alex Van Halen spoke about the album he is working on with guitarist Steve Lukather.
The LP will reportedly include unreleased recordings from the VAN HALEN vault, left behind by Eddie Van Halen who passed away in 2020.
According to Lukather, the project aims to honor the legacy of Eddie Van Halen and feature previously unreleased material that doesn't make sense as standalone tracks.
The album is not intended as a cash grab or a way to milk fans of VAN HALEN for more music.
Instead, it's about preserving the quality of the original recordings and ensuring they meet the standards set by Eddie Van Halen.
Lukather emphasized his role in the project is that of a co-producer, helping Alex with technical aspects and not contributing to the tracks musically.
Alex discussed the album with Steve this past February in an interview with GastĂŁo Moreira of Brazil's KazagastĂŁo magazine.
He revealed that many people had asked about releasing unreleased VAN HALEN material, but it wouldn't make sense without vocals or completion.
The drummer stated: “We originally had plans to — I think I can probably say without talking outta school, one of the singers who we really, really, really wanted to use for the new stuff was Paul Rodgers,\u2026”However, Robert Plant has been suggested as another singer who could potentially collaborate on the project.
Alex expressed hope that the universe would work something out to where this project would come out the best it can possibly be.
The album is expected to feature unreleased material from Eddie Van Halen's vaults.
Lukather collaborated with Eddie and Steve on several projects in the past, including Michael Jackson's “Beat It” and Steve's debut solo album.
In November 2020, Lukather reflected on his friend Eddie's passing to Metal Master Kingdom magazine: “It's hard for me, man, 'cause the wound is still very deep… I'm very honored to have been Ed's friend — really a friend; not just a guitar buddy who had a beer with him once.\u2026”Eddie Van Halen died on October 6, 2020 at St.
John's Hospital in Santa Monica, California at the age of 65.
VAN HALEN was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2007.
Rolling Stone magazine ranked Eddie Van Halen No.
8 in its list of the 100 greatest guitarists.