By VHND's Scott Essman On the April 7 episode of That Metal Show on VH1 Classic, the "Throwdown" segment pitted Van Halen and its new album "A Different Kind of Truth" against Metallica and "Death Magnetic" for Best Comeback Album by a hard rock/heavy metal artist, ostensibly one whose heyday was in the hard rock-metal glory years of the 1980s. Guests for the April 7 … [Read more...]
Van Halen Firing On All Cylinders In Concert
From AccessAtlanta.com: ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. -- As with any Van Halen tour, there are questions. Have the hip surgeries and tongue cancer endured by Eddie Van Halen hindered his ability to perform and sing backup? Can David Lee Roth still spin like a ballerina on acid and yelp those high notes? Will Eddie’s 21-year-old son, Wolfgang, be a worthy replacement for … [Read more...]
Interview: John Shanks Discusses Producing Van Halen’s New Album, ‘A Different Kind Of Truth’
This is a must-read! Van Halen producer John Shanks was interviewed by Alison Richter for both GuitarWorld.com and Examiner.com. We have all of the Van Halen content from the interview below. We recommend clicking on the links and reading both parts of John Shanks' interview in their entirety. His background is truly remarkable, and he offers a lot of insight about … [Read more...]
“The Trouble With Never” Word Jazz
Here's the third "Word Jazz" video from David Lee Roth... … [Read more...]
A Different Kind of Truth, Same Kind of Power: Van Halen Live Concert Washington DC 2012
From Guitar International.com: Thirty two years to the week of the release of their album Women and Children First, the mighty Van Halen brought “A Different Kind of Truth” to the nation’s capital, captivating a sell out crowd with an evening of classic hits as well as new material from their current release, A Different Kind of Truth. “Are…you… ready?” screamed … [Read more...]
Van Halen Unleashes “Blood And Fire” and “Jamie’s Cryin”” in Reading Tonight
Van Halen surprised their audience at the Sovereign Center in Reading, PA tonight when they played not one, but two songs that hadn't been played yet on their "Different Kind Of Truth" tour. The classic "Jamie's Cryin'" was played for the first time since the 2007-2008 tour, and the new song "Blood And Fire" also had it's debut. (The band had previously only played it during … [Read more...]
Help! I’ve Fallen For Van Halen and Can’t Get Up
From open.salon.com: I try to remain young at heart musically, or at least as young as my 61-year-old ears will allow me. I check the websites Pitchfork, Stereogum and emusic regularly, and I will investigate the latest buzzed-about indie band (The Men’sOpen Your Heart sounds pretty good), the latest overhyped pop diva (Lana Del Rey – oy!), and any unknown-to-me musical … [Read more...]
Review: Van Halen Can Still Keep An Arena Full of People On Their Feet For Two Hours
From OttawaCitizen.com: Years ago, Van Halen famously imploded amid the usual internecine rock and roll warfare, but at Scotiabank Place Wednesday night it was soon clear that despite all those years apart, the band is still as tight as David Lee Roth’s pants. Reunited and slightly reconfigured – bass player Michael Anthony is gone, replaced by Wolfgang, the son of guitar … [Read more...]
Poll: Favorite Songs From ‘A Different Kind Of Truth’
Now that Van Halen's long-awaited new album, A Different Kind Of Truth, has been out for a few weeks, it's time we conducted our first VHND readers poll in quite a while! The Van Halen News Desk wants to see which songs our readers think are the very best. The album has been getting rave reviews from fans and critics alike. We know that chances are you absolutely love … [Read more...]
Van Halen Interviews, Part 3 (Video)
This is the third video interview from Van Halen which features the founding members of the band talking about what it was like before they skyrocketed onto the scene in 1978. You can really appreciate the history they have with each other as they share stories about getting started as a band, their unique perspective and experiences, and really get to see the passion they have … [Read more...]
Full Van Halen Montreal Concert on Video
Van Halen's 2012 tour invades Canada with a fury! The band played Montreal March 13th, Toronto on the 17th, and will play Ottawa this Wednesday the 21st. Some amazing fan-filmed footage of the entire Montreal concert has surfaced. While this footage is great for an amateur recording, keep in mind that watching amateur concert footage on youtube is more like watching the show … [Read more...]
Photo Gallery: Van Halen in Boston
On the road to promote their first studio album in 14 years, A Different Kind of Truth, legendary classic rockers Van Halen made their way to Massachusetts on Sunday for a highly anticipated sold out show at the TD Garden in Boston. View Boston Music Sporlight's Van Halen photo gallery here. (Photos By: Peter Cooke) … [Read more...]