587. Van Halen / A Different Kind Of Truth. 2012. 3.5/5

It's a tough gig as a fan when you wait 14 years for a band to release a new album. Especially when the last album they DID release just didn't work, and the new album brings back a long-lost member of the family. And to be honest, Van Halen was really on a hiding to nothing. Bringing Diamond Dave back into the fold was probably their last resort, given the (somewhat unfair) backlash Gary Cherone received after Van Halen III crashed and burned. But could they make something together that not only was new and interesting that also wasn't so radical that it turned away their fan base?

It would appear that, in order to achieve this, much of the album contains material that was either written or originated in some form from their earliest incarnation from the late 1970's. Whether this was a deliberate ploy to ensure that they kept the feel of the original band intact in this new recording, or for some other reason, is not immediately obvious, but is not a bad ploy given the length of time between albums for the band (14 years) and with DLR (28 years).

I have found that the more I listened to the album initially, the more I enjoyed it. Even the lead song and single, "Tattoo", which I found boring and lacking in interest on its release, began to have me tapping along to it in subsequent spinning's of the CD. Not too much though, it is still a fairly average song. However, tracks such as "She's The Woman" and "China Town" and "Bullethead" and "As Is" compensate for the lacklustre tunes that surround them.

There's not a lot new about this album, but there are some refreshing moments. Roth is never really extended vocally here, but he still performs his job manfully, and his attitude still swanks through the album. What IS pleasing is that Eddie appears to have found his guitar again, and his characteristic licks at times explode out of the speakers like the days of yore. It's good to hear him back once again.

While none of the songs here will likely go on to become classics, it is probably enough that this album delivers no more or less than it promises. The fear was always that it could have been a massive disappointment after all the years of waiting. In the end, it's just nice to have the band back together, and producing an album that is more than listenable.