De Telegraaf first broke the news of the collaboration. Guitar World later reported that Alex Van Halen is working on a new Van Halen album with Toto guitarist Steve Lukather. Their partnership stems from Lukather’s longstanding friendship with the late Eddie Van Halen.
“Ed and Steve Lukather were very good friends and they often worked together. There is no one who can do this process with me as well as he can,” Alex Van Halen stated.
“Did Alex say that? Oh, in that case the news is true. Ed, Alex and I were very close for years. It is true that we worked on it together,” Lukather confirmed when asked about the project.
The collaboration represents a significant milestone in Van Halen’s legacy.
Historical Collaborations
Guitar Player highlights the rich history between Lukather and Eddie Van Halen. Their most notable collaboration occurred on Michael Jackson’s ‘Beat It.’ Lukather performed the rhythm guitar parts while Eddie delivered the iconic solo.
The musical partnership between the two guitarists extended further. Eddie played bass on Lukather’s debut solo album. He later contributed to Lukather’s 2003 Christmas album ‘Santamental.’
Recent Van Halen Activities
Music Radar reports that Alex Van Halen has been promoting his memoir ‘Brothers.’ The promotion included releasing a previously unheard track titled ‘Unfinished.’
Alex’s work on the memoir has led to the discovery of extensive unreleased Van Halen material. These archives could provide material for future releases.
Legacy And Latest Works
Guitar World notes that Van Halen’s final studio album was ‘A Different Kind of Truth’ from 2012. David Lee Roth handled vocal duties on this release.
The 2012 album marked a return to Van Halen’s signature sound. It stands as the band’s last studio work before Eddie Van Halen’s passing in 2020. This context makes the new collaboration with Lukather especially meaningful for the band’s legacy.
