The long-rumored “Van Halen vault” is finally being unlocked, but not in the way many fans might have expected. In a definitive update that has rippled through the rock community, Alex Van Halen has confirmed that he is actively working on a new album comprised of unfinished material recorded with his late brother, Eddie Van Halen. Speaking in a new interview on February 18, 2026, the legendary drummer revealed that he has enlisted the help of Toto guitarist and longtime family friend Steve Lukather to bring the project to fruition.
The revelation came during a conversation with the Brazilian YouTube channel KazaGastão, hosted by Gastão Moreira. For years, speculation has swirled regarding the existence of a “treasure trove” of unreleased music at the band’s 5150 Studios.
Alex addressed these rumors head-on, clarifying that while the material exists, he has no interest in simply dumping raw demos onto the market. “We’re not gonna release it in its embryonic form because it wouldn’t make any sense,” he explained. “It has to be of the quality and the level of where we left it. Not just to say, ‘Hey, here’s some music that we made.’ No, it has to be the quality that we expect.”
According to the drummer, the tracks currently being polished were originally intended for the band’s next studio album—a project that was halted by Eddie’s declining health and eventual passing in 2020. Crucially, the core instrumentation is already complete. Alex confirmed that the drums, guitar, and bass tracks are “already in there,” noting that the bass parts were performed by Wolfgang Van Halen, who had been the band’s bassist since 2006.
The missing piece of the puzzle, however, remains the vocals. In a candid admission, Alex revealed that the project has hit a stumbling block in finding the right voice to complete the songs. The band’s original top choice was Paul Rodgers, the legendary frontman of Free and Bad Company. “One of the singers who we really, really, really wanted to use for the new stuff was Paul Rodgers,” Alex stated. However, Rodgers reportedly declined the invitation due to health concerns, a decision Alex described as “disappointing” but understandable.
With Rodgers out of the picture, Alex and Lukather are currently in the process of scouting a replacement. The criteria are specific: Alex is seeking a contemporary who understands the era and the ethos of the music. “I’m 72. We gotta find somebody in that age group who was exposed to the same musical experience that we have,” he noted, emphasizing the need for a “shared experience” to give the music the necessary depth. When the interviewer suggested Robert Plant as a potential candidate, Alex praised the Led Zeppelin singer as “brilliant” and an “ideal choice,” though he acknowledged that Plant is currently busy with his own touring commitments.
Steve Lukather’s involvement appears to be that of a producer and arranger rather than a performer. Alex described him as the “connective tissue” of the project, someone who can help organize the existing tracks into a cohesive album structure. The collaboration makes historical sense; Lukather was a close friend of Eddie’s and famously played on hits like Michael Jackson’s “Beat It” alongside him.
This news follows the release of Alex’s 2024 memoir, Brothers, which included a snippet of a track titled “Unfinished.” That release was the first public offering from the vault, but this new project promises a full-scale album. While no release date has been set, Alex’s comments suggest a determination to see the record finished, stating simply, “We have no other intent other than to have it come to fruition.”
