Ross Hogarth, one of the producers of the new Van Halen album, has issued an update on the project’s progress. He told Ultimate Classic Rock that the legendary band have finished recording and that they have “just started mixing the album.”
“The whole Van Halen record has been recorded and we’re all excited,” he said. “I’m really stoked about it, as it is the original band, Eddie and Alex with Wolf playing bass, and David Lee Roth singing.
“It’s the killing side of Van Halen at the top of their game again with Diamond Dave, and the band on fire,” Hogarth said.
The album does not have a title as yet but the word is that it will be dubbed ‘Two Zero One One’ (2011) which would be a logical follow-up to the last album with Dave Lee Roth, ‘1984’. The last full-length from the group came in 1998 with singer number three, Gary Cherone, the critically unacclaimed ‘Van Halen 3’.
Last month Creed and Alter Bridge co-founder Mark Tremonti told a television programme in Austria that he had heard the entire album and that it was “incredible.” And last week the guitarist spoke again about it to a Colorado radio show.
“It was just me, my buddy Eric, Wolfie and Eddie (Van Halen) in one room, and then Alex (Van Halen) was in the other room behind some plexiglass, and then they played down the entire new album,” Tremonti told Ross Ford on 94.3 KILO.
“What makes it so great is that they took what they could from all their old demos back in the 80s and pretty much did what they could to create songs out of old ideas, so it sounds like vintage Van Halen.
“Musically it sounds in the (early ’80s) era,” he said. “I didn’t hear any vocals — David was not there. It was just the three of them and the music sounded like very authentic, old-school Van Halen. It was just a crazy experience to sit there and watch. Eddie was four feet from me, and Wolfie was on the other side. The guys were very excited to be doing what they’re doing.”
Melodicrock has reported that a trusted source inside the VH camp has advised that tour plans are being locked in for a sizable world tour starting with the below Australian shows in September before re-launching in the US in November.
Word is the VH 2011/2012 tour will commence in November and the source told Melodicrock that it’s likely the band will stay on the road through summer 2012 with the tour taking in Asia, South America and Europe. Watch for the band to possibly headline some 2012 European festivals.
The source also said that a single might appear as early as next month. Leaks are inevitable and we’ll bring them to you as soon as we have them.
Van Halen – Soundwave Revolution 2011:
09/24 – Brisbane
09/25 – Sydney
09/30 – Melbourne
10/01 – Adelaide
10/03 – Perth
