After many quiet years, Alex Van Halen is finally returning to music—and fans have a reason to be excited.
The legendary drummer, best known for his work with Van Halen, hasn’t released new original music since the band’s last album, A Different Kind of Truth, which came out in 2012. Things changed forever in 2020 when his brother and bandmate, Eddie Van Halen, passed away. After that, it felt like the story of Van Halen had come to an end.
But now, Alex is starting a new chapter.
In late 2024, he released a book called Brothers. It was a very personal tribute to Eddie and their life together. The book showed how close they were, not just as musicians, but as brothers.
Recently, Alex shared some big news during an interview on the Metal Sticks podcast, hosted by Nicko McBrain from Iron Maiden. He said he is getting ready to record a new album.
He won’t be doing it alone. He plans to work with Steve Lukather from Toto. The two musicians have known each other for a long time, and they also had a strong connection with Eddie. This makes the collaboration feel more meaningful and natural.
What’s interesting is how Alex plans to create this new music. He said he doesn’t believe in rehearsing too much. Instead, he prefers to be spontaneous. This means just playing music freely, recording ideas, and building songs from those moments.
This was the same way he and Eddie used to work. They didn’t always plan everything. They would experiment, take small ideas, and turn them into full songs. That creative style became a big part of what made Van Halen’s music special.
Alex also explained that working with people he trusts is very important to him. He doesn’t want the process to feel forced or controlled by strict rules. For him, music should feel natural and creative, not like a contract job.
There is also another interesting detail. Earlier in 2025, there were reports that Alex and Steve were working on unfinished recordings that Alex had made with Eddie. There are many unreleased tracks in the archives, and fans have been hoping to hear them one day.
Steve later explained that he would not play guitar parts like Eddie. Instead, he might help organize and produce the music. This shows the deep respect he has for Eddie’s legacy.
Right now, it’s not fully clear if the new album will include those old recordings or be completely new material. But one thing is certain—Alex Van Halen is making music again.
For fans, this is more than just a new album. It’s a reminder that even after loss, creativity continues. And in some way, the spirit of Eddie Van Halen may still live on through this music.