Unheard Van Halen Music Is Coming, but You May Not Like It

Alex Van Halen says he’s determined to keep making music, and that unheard Van Halen material will be released – although he warned that some fans wouldn’t like what they heard.

In a new interview with Billboard the drummer reported that his recent equipment auction had been misinterpreted as a signal of retirement, and that despite some health issues, he planned to be back in action within five years.

“I’m not quitting,” Van Halen stated. “I don’t know where that came from. I’ll die with sticks in my hand.” He added that spine issues and an injury sustained in 2022 were causing him problems, but “with modern technology we have now I should be OK in about five years.”

Read More: Hear Alex Van Halen Eulogize Eddie Van Halen in ‘Brothers’

Following the release of the instrumental track “Unfinished” in connection with the publication of Van Halen’s memoir, Brothers, the drummer confirmed more material would appear “when it feels right.”

He explained: “I’m not in a hurry. I do have a certain obligation to keep it to Ed‘s standards. … I need to have access to the right takes, ’cause not every day did we play at our best.

“We didn’t go in the studio like, ‘Yeah, we’re gonna make a record from beginning to end.’ We had little pieces here, little pieces there; you put ’em away until the time comes and you go, ‘Hey, I think I like that piece…’ and then go back to it and build something from there.”

Alex Van Halen Will Gather ‘Right Team’ for Future Releases

He added: “I know people want to hear it…the other side of the coin is this doesn’t sound like Van Halen. You’re damned if you do, damned if you don’t.”

In the meantime he said he was “looking forward to getting some people involved…other musicians and producers,” noting: “You have to have the right team, because not everybody can do everything. So we’ll see.”