Van Halen’s legendary drummer Alex Van Halen has confirmed that he’s preparing to begin work on a new album with Toto guitarist Steve Lukather, a project that has intrigued fans and stirred speculation for more than a year.
In a recent appearance on the Metal Sticks podcast with Iron Maiden’s Nicko McBrain, Alex spoke openly about the upcoming record, describing it as “exciting” and something he’s been getting ready for with Lukather and “a couple of other people.”
“I’m getting ready to do this record with Lukather and a couple of other people,” Alex said, signaling that work is imminent even though he did not reveal specific details like a title, format, or release timeline.
Though the story may sound new to some, the idea of Alex digging into unreleased material has been circulating for years. Back in 2024, he revealed there are as many as three or four albums’ worth of unheard music in the Van Halen vault — recordings he made with his brother Eddie Van Halen before Eddie’s death in 2020 at age 65.
Alex has said those recordings will remain dormant until the right moment and right approach are found — and he vowed any release would need to honor the standards set by his and Eddie’s earlier work.
In a 2025 interview with Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf, Alex explained that he recruited Lukather to help sift through these unfinished tapes, noting that Eddie and Lukather were “very good friends” and that there may be no one better suited to assist him in the process.
Despite Alex’s comments, **Steve Lukather has since clarified that his involvement on the project does not include playing guitar on new Van Halen tracks. In a 2025 Instagram statement, Lukather stressed that there was a “huge misunderstanding” around his role, saying he “will not ever play a guitar note on a VH song ever.”
Instead, Lukather described himself as assisting Alex by going through “a ton of unfinished recordings of Al and Ed writing and recording that never saw the light of day.” In that sense, his role has been more akin to co‑producer or archival collaborator rather than a performer.
Lukather emphasized his respect for Eddie’s legacy, saying he plays “nothing like Ed” and wouldn’t seek to imitate him, even as he helps evaluate and organize the material.
The confirmation signals the most substantial movement on a new Van Halen project since the band’s 2012 studio album A Different Kind of Truth — and it’s built on a body of work that spans decades of creative collaboration between the Van Halen brothers.
While there’s no official release date yet, the renewed activity and Alex’s willingness to discuss the project publicly suggest that the music could emerge sooner rather than later — offering longtime fans a bridge between Van Halen’s storied past and new creative territory.
Whether the finished album will feature untouched archival takes, reworked compositions, or contributions from contemporary players remains unconfirmed, but the involvement of figures with deep personal ties to Eddie underscores the care being taken with the material.
For now, Alex Van Halen’s announcement brings fresh hope that unheard Van Halen music — once thought lost to time — may finally see the light of day.
