In a new interview with Austria’s Mulatschag TV, Alter Bridge guitarist Mark Tremonti reveals that he was recently at Van Halen’s 5150 studios, where Eddie, Alex, and Wolfgang Van Halen treated him to a live performance of their upcoming album, played in it’s entirety.
Tramonti: “We played with Van Halen years and years ago at Madison Square Garden and Palace in Detroit. The first time I saw Wolfgang, he was just a little… probably five-year-old kid or six-year-old kid and Eddie, that day, gave me one of his guitars, so I got to know Eddie.
“Then years went by and Wolfgang ended up being a fan of Alter Bridge, so we got to know him through Alter Bridge. And Wolfgang invited us to go see soundcheck when Van Halen did a tour a couple of years ago, and we were the only in there, so it was quite a treat.
“And then recently, I was in Los Angeles and Wolfgang invited me to his Dad’s house and I got to go to 5150 studios and watch Eddie and Alex and Wolfgang play their new record from front to back. So I was one of the only people who have heard the new Van Halen. It was incredible.”
Van Halen have been recording their as-yet-untitled new album with Grammy Award-winning producer John Shanks. It will mark the band’s first album with David Lee Roth in more than 25 years. The album’s release date is unknown, but is rumored to be sometime in the Fall of 2011.
You can watch the entire interview below: