Wolfgang Van Halen Offers Support for New Van Halen Album

The musician says he'll help in any way he can with his uncle Alex's plans to release archival recordings.

Published on Feb. 26, 2026

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Wolfgang Van Halen, the bassist who joined Van Halen in 2007, says he doesn't have any inside information about his uncle Alex's plans to release a new Van Halen album, but that he's happy to support the project in any way he can. Alex Van Halen has recruited Toto guitarist Steve Lukather as a co-producer to complete what he described as "recordings that were going to be the next [Van Halen] record" before the 2020 death of his brother, guitarist Eddie Van Halen.

Why it matters

The potential release of new Van Halen music is highly anticipated by fans, as the band has not released a new studio album since 2012's "A Different Kind of Truth." Wolfgang's involvement as the band's bassist during their later years could provide valuable insight and contributions to the project.

The details

Wolfgang says he's not sure what specific recordings Alex is referring to, as there were a few years where he, his father Eddie, and his uncle Alex were just jamming in the studio. However, Wolfgang has vowed to fully support Alex in any way he needs, whether that's providing bass parts or other assistance. Finding a lead singer appears to be the main remaining challenge, as previous Van Halen vocalists like David Lee Roth and Sammy Hagar have not yet been involved.

  • In February 2026, Alex Van Halen revealed plans to release an archival Van Halen album.
  • Wolfgang Van Halen made his comments about supporting the project in a February 2026 interview on Sirius XM's Faction Talk.

The players

Wolfgang Van Halen

The bassist who joined Van Halen in 2007 and is the son of the late guitarist Eddie Van Halen.

Alex Van Halen

The drummer and co-founder of Van Halen, who is spearheading the effort to release an archival Van Halen album.

Steve Lukather

The guitarist for the band Toto, who has been recruited by Alex Van Halen as a co-producer for the archival Van Halen album.

Eddie Van Halen

The legendary guitarist and co-founder of Van Halen, who passed away in 2020.

David Lee Roth

The original lead singer of Van Halen, who has not yet been involved in the archival album project.

Sammy Hagar

Another former lead singer of Van Halen, who has also not yet been involved in the archival album project.

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What they’re saying

“I mean, I haven't played anything yet, so I'm not sure what Al is talking about in that respect. They could be older ideas that maybe we worked on, you know 15 years ago or something. Because there were a couple of years where Dad, Al and I were just jamming in the studio.”

— Wolfgang Van Halen (Faction Talk)

“But I really do think it's more of Al's thing to talk about. I'm really just here in a position of helping him with whatever he needs. If he needs bass on something, I'm there. If he needs anything else, I'm there. Whatever he needs, but it's definitely his thing to spearhead and I'm in a support position.”

— Wolfgang Van Halen (Faction Talk)

What’s next

Alex Van Halen and the production team will continue working to complete the archival Van Halen album, with Wolfgang Van Halen providing support as needed. The main remaining challenge is finding a lead vocalist to contribute to the recordings.

The takeaway

The potential release of new Van Halen music, spearheaded by drummer Alex Van Halen and supported by bassist Wolfgang Van Halen, represents an exciting opportunity for fans to hear previously unheard material from the iconic rock band. However, the project still faces some key hurdles, including securing the right lead vocalist, that will need to be overcome before the album can be finalized and released.