After fourteen years of musical silence, Van Halen's follow-up to the not-so-well-received-by-fans 1998 record Van Halen III is out, and what a comeback! The most notable aspect of this return effort is the fact that original frontman David Lee Roth is back to his role. He had already toured with the band in 2007 and 2008 but this is the first full-length Van Halen album featuring David's voice in twenty eight years (David left the band after the record-breaking 1984). The current line-up is completed by Eddie's brother Alex, the legendary drummer, and son Wolfgang, in charge of the bass.
With the first play, the album evokes their roots, laden with melodies, ingenious guitar riffs, long solos and Eddie's trademark tapping skills. Many of the songs in the record were brought back to life from demos written in the 70s. However, there is a bunch of brand new songs, such as Stay Frosty and You and Your Blues, which have a bluesy feeling to them. David's voice sounds top-notch, as it time hasn't gone by and Eddie's playing is flawless. It seems that this symbiosis between both leaders is beneficial for the band, as the sound and musical creativity are at their best and both stand out in their own way, but never overshadowing one another.
This is an album that fans will praise for obvious reasons: it is the Van Halen record everybody was expecting: The original singer is back, the album sounds as it had been recorded in the early 80s and yet is not a brazen copy of that era, and Eddie's guitar playing is simply great, as he were making a statement of why he has been a major influence for guitar players around the world for over thirty years. A curiosity: this is the first album featuring David Lee Roth which does not include an instrumental stand alone track.This LP will surely make the best-2012-album lists around the world.
Rating: 9/10
Video: Tattoo
Unmissable song: Stay Frosty
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