Wolfgang Van Halen states he lacks any inside information regarding his uncle Alex‘s plans for an archival Van Halen album, but he is eager to support the project in any capacity.
Earlier this month, Alex disclosed that he had enlisted Toto guitarist Steve Lukather as a co-producer to finalize what he termed “recordings that were intended to be the next [Van Halen] record” prior to the 2020 passing of Alex’s brother (and Wolfgang’s father), guitarist Eddie Van Halen.
Alex further elaborated that his drums, Eddie’s guitar, and Wolfgang’s bass were all “already in there.” The primary remaining challenge seems to be finding a singer, as Paul Rodgers declined an invitation to participate, and former Van Halen vocalists David Lee Roth and Sammy Hagar still appear to be out of favor.
In a conversation with Eddie Trunk on Sirius XM’s Faction Talk, Wolfgang expressed some uncertainty about Alex’s intentions but pledged his full support for the project.
“I mean, I haven’t played anything yet, so I’m not sure what Al is talking about in that respect,” he began. “They could be older ideas that maybe we worked on, you know 15 years ago or something. Because there were a couple of years where Dad, Al and I were just jamming in the studio.
“But I really do think it’s more of Al’s thing to talk about. I’m really just here in a position of helping him with whatever he needs. If he needs bass on something, I’m there. If he needs anything else, I’m there. Whatever he needs, but it’s definitely his thing to spearhead and I’m in a support position.”
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Wolfgang became the new bassist for Van Halen in 2007 alongside his father and uncle, coinciding with the return of founding lead singer Roth.
This lineup completed three successful North American tours and released what is currently recognized as Van Halen’s final album, 2012’s A Different Kind of Truth.
Wolfgang is presently touring in support of his band Mammoth’s third album, The End. Their upcoming tour begins on March 5 in sunny Buffalo, New York.
Van Halen Lineup Changes: A Complete Guide
Three different singers and two different bassists have joined the Van Halen brothers over the years.
