Hear This Wild Remix Of Van Halen’s ‘Runnin’ With The Devil’!
Van Halen fans are usually pretty protective of the band’s classic recordings – especially anything from the groundbreaking 1978 debut album. But every once in a while, a remix comes along that’s so creative, so over-the-top, and so unexpectedly fun that even diehard purists might crack a smile.
That’s exactly what happened with producer Rhythm Scholar’s mashup-style remix of “Runnin’ With The Devil.”
The six-minute reimagining takes Van Halen’s iconic opener and throws it into a musical blender filled with classic rock, funk, breakbeats, and pure chaos – in the best possible way.
The remix layers in samples and snippets inspired by artists including Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, James Brown, Donna Summer, and others, while still somehow keeping the swagger and spirit of the original Van Halen track intact.
And yes – there’s even newly added guitar work by Finnish guitarist Sami Turunen. That alone may send some hardcore fans diving for the original LP.
But honestly? It’s hard not to admire the creativity behind it.
The original “Runnin’ With The Devil” remains one of the most important debut tracks in rock history. Released in 1978 on Van Halen, the song introduced the world to the revolutionary chemistry of Van Halen – with Eddie Van Halen’s guitar pyrotechnics, David Lee Roth’s larger-than-life vocals, Michael Anthony’s thunderous bass harmonies, and Alex Van Halen’s explosive drumming.
The song’s famous opening car-horn effect has become legendary in its own right. According to longtime stories surrounding the recording sessions, the band used actual car horns powered by batteries and manipulated in the studio by producer Ted Templeman.
What makes this remix especially interesting is that it doesn’t try to “improve” Van Halen. Instead, it feels more like a celebration of the band’s reckless energy and musical freedom.
And if there’s one artist who probably wouldn’t have objected to experimentation, it may have been Eddie himself. Louder highlighted one of Eddie Van Halen’s most famous philosophies: “There are no rules… do whatever you want with them.”
Love it or hate it, this remix definitely succeeds at one thing: making you hear “Runnin’ With The Devil” in a completely different way.
You can check it out and decide for yourself.