Van Halen – A Different Kind Of Truth

When the long-awaited new Van Halen-album “A Different Kind Of Truth” starts playing, it’s like time stood still. There’s all that attitude we all know and love, all the energy that once made Van Halen the biggest mega-band on the metal planet. Everything you’ve been lusting for the past 28 years is right here, no expenses spared.

Often when bands reunite, they give you some half-assed attempt to get back on track and they usually fail. Van Halen has no intention of failing and with this in-your-face release, they are, without a doubt, the exception to the rule. Eddie’s fingers are faster than Lucky Luke, as they’re flying over the strings with incredible ease. There’s no question about it, THE Eddie Van Halen is on the loose! David Lee Roth sounds exactly like he did 1977, I can even picture his high stage-kicks as I’m listening to “As Is” or “Bullethead”. He sounds damn sexy, his voice certainly hasn’t aged! It’s simply amazing. I can’t help wondering why they wasted all this time with their petty fights when they could have created music like this instead…! This is a party, a celebration, and we’ve all been invited!

“A Different Kind Of Truth” is based on demos that are more than 30 years old. Fans worldwide are going goo-goo-gaa-gaa over the “classic Van Halen”-sound and it’s obvious why. It’s powerful, made for blasting – so turn everything up to 11 and get the adrenaline pumping!

I can’t even pick a favorite song, it keeps changing from day to day as I discover something new in every song. “Stay Frosty” is quite apparently written at the same time as “Ice Cream Man”, and still amusing. Funny enough, the single “Tattoo” didn’t do much for me. I’m glad that the rest of the album is nothing like it. I read a review somewhere recently where the reviewer described this album as “an extended orgasm”. I guess that’s a pretty good way to sum it all up!