Van Halen hails from an era when glam rock and heavy metal fused on a regular basis, eventually forming the semi-serious moniker "hair metal." Van Halen was part, if not the leader, of a revolution of hard rock bands that had no qualms about having ridiculously extravagant stage sets and costume designs as part of their live shows. They even have the privilege of being one of the bands to inspire the cult mockumentary, "This is Spinal Tap" (1984).
The band originally formed in 1972 but didn't release their debut album until 1978, after years of playing small shows and inspiring local fans with their music. The band's title stems from the last name of the drummer and lead guitarist, Alex and Eddie Van Halen, respectively. Van Halen was often in the media spotlight due to the interchanging of front men that occurred continuously within the band. The original lead singer, David Lee Roth, left the band in 1985 because of stylistic differences he had with Eddie Van Halen. Sammy Hagar followed next, then Gary Cherone, but neither had the flamboyant stage antics of "Diamond Dave" that made Van Halen what they were.
Fourteen years since their last album, the Van Halens have reunited with David Lee Roth and released their 12th album, "A Different Kind of Truth" (2012). The album is a little heavier than prior releases and does not feature a single power ballad, but the technical skill of all band members is still excellent.
The opening song and single, "Tattoo," is a quintessential Van Halen song. Lee Roth's ranging vocals, from a low growl to near-falsetto, make the song great. Collective Van Halen fans can breathe a sigh of relief that the band members managed to overcome their differences and come together again.
"She's the Woman" is another showcase of Lee Roth's vocal abilities and exhibits the first Van Halen guitar solo to be released in 14 years. It's enough to make anyone emotional and somewhat reminiscent.
"China Town" starts with Eddie letting his fingers loose all over his guitar and it's the first song on the album where listeners really hear Alex's fast and intense drumming. The chorus of "China Town" has Lee Roth singing, "Heroes aren't born they're cornered/and this corner is where we write the story/Two tribes warring/Downtown after hours," constructing an intriguing fantastical narrative.
The next song, "Blood and Fire" has the average set-up of verse, chorus, and verse until it degenerates into a tribute to Eddie's virtuosic skills. Guitar solos like these just don't happen in songs anymore, and the fact that this exists now is hope that Van Halen hasn't lost any of their talent in the intervening years.
"As Is" is a fast-paced, heavy rock-metal fusion song. Van Halen has been around for too long to fit neatly into any particular sub-heading but the glam-metal roots of their music are most evident in this song.
"Honeybabysweetiedoll" is essentially an excuse for David Lee Roth to speak in a seductive manner over sexy guitar riffs, something that comes across well on record but may not do so well in live shows because honestly, David Lee Roth doesn't look as good as he used to. The end of the song allows him to prove he's still got his growl as well, which at age 58 is rather impressive.
The album continues along the rock track until it hits "Stay Frosty," an odd track that fuses acoustic guitar, Lee Roth's twanging vocals and backing vocals until about a minute in. At this point, the rest of the band contributes all at once and suddenly it's a pleasantly country-inspired, intrepid exploration into a less heavy sound with somewhat cheeky lyrics, "I wandered out West/to the California coast/Where the folks who know about frostiness say frostiest the most."
As the title suggests, "A Different Kind of Truth" has a different sound compared to their last albums, but not in the way one would expect. This album harks back more to the original albums, when the band was just developing its sound, but feels more polished, like the sound of a band in its mature and sensible years. This thought inspires happiness that such an album exists at all and a bit of nostalgia, because Van Halen just isn't as ridiculous as they used to be.
