VAN HALEN makes a blazing comeback with 2012’s solid rocking A Different Kind Of Truth, the first studio record to feature original vocalist David Lee Roth since VAN HALEN’s classic 1984 album. Are the songs any good? Can Wolfgang pull it off without dragging down the legendary sound of the band? Is the album nothing but just reworked, unreleased demo cuts from the 70’s? Can Eddie still shred your face off into a puddle of melted flesh? Well, firstly, this reviewer has waited nearly thirty years for this moment… so it better be damn good or I am going to do what any professional music critic would do: MURDER IT. Okay, since I am being so blunt, let’s just get it all out into the open… yes, I am one of the diehard fans who is not happy with the fact that they did not bring Michael Anthony back. Frankly, I was pissed as all hell, but let it be known that despite his average backup vocals, Eddie’s boy can certainly play the bass – and at a pretty damn impressive level… maybe not as good as Anthony did in his heyday back in the 70’s when the mammoth that was VAN HALEN erupted onto the hard rock music landscape, but he holds it down with nice bouncing lines and fills in at all the right moments, while seeming to be having a total blast with his pops, so how can you hate on that?
The old ‘unreleased’ cuts that pepper the album were smart choices for sure, “She’s The Woman” and the smoking “Bullethead” being the best overall I feel in how they were able to remain sounding like the classic era VH but still punching it up with a modern feel. Remember, these were songs the band performed during their early L.A. clubs days. It is amazing how the magic is still there between the brothers and the aging vocalist who comes off here like some kind of wrinkled rock n roll preacher. Look, I am not going to lie and say Roth is at his best here on the vocals. The man is closing in on sixty, so he has lost much of the over-the-top howling and wild screams he was so well known for early in his career. I will say what he is missing in that department he makes up with an endless amount of energy that sucks you in from the opening track until the very end and bottom line, Dave gets the job done. On killer new original songs “China Town” and “Blood And Fire”, the 2012 version of VAN HALEN impressed me with how much the stayed true to what they were in the start: a balls to the walls, party band with one amazing lead guitarist. They get it, man… don’t fix something that ain’t broke!
So… what about Eddie? Has he lost a step? No. Not one damn inch. He kills it. I mean, come on, Eddie battled through a lot of personal demons and still got back on the damn horse. He sounds as fierce and imaginative in his lead solos on this record as he did back in the day.
Not much to say about Alex Van Halen. He never disappoints, does he? One of the greatest rock drummers doing his thing and putting the stamp down with his bro like they never stopped rocking with their old bud Roth. I hope they can keep it together for a couple more albums, because they have the potential to record something really special if they can keep building on the chemistry with Wolfgang… and push themselves at this point in their Hall of Fame career to do something they are easily still capable of, something more (brand new) original than what they put together for this comeback album and with a bit more ‘balls’ in the riff and solos department. I know you’ve still got in you, Ed… my money is on you stepping up even bigger on the next VAN HALEN album with Roth. I pray that they step up to that challenge, before calling it a day once and for all, because what could have easily been a disaster of a comeback has turned into something pretty damn cool.
ROCKET REVIEW:
[starreview tpl=16]
VAN HALEN – “A Different Kind Of Truth” (CD)
(Interscope Records/2012)
1. Tattoo
2. She’s the Woman
3. You and Your Blues
4. China Town
5. Blood and Fire
6. Bullethead
7. As Is
8. Honeybabysweetiedoll
9. The Trouble with Never
10. Outta Space
11. Stay Frosty
12. Big River
13. Beats Workin’
http://www.van-halen.com/
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