Got the new Van Halen album... It may not be everyone's cup of tea, but it's not bad at all. It's not their debut album or anything like that, but Eddie still has it and Wolfgang does a admirable job not only on bass, but on backing vocals. It's not the same with out Michael Anthony, but it's a far cry from
Balance and
III in a good way.
A Different Kind of Truth is the first Van Halen album since the Nineties dregs of Balance and Van Halen III, which were just humiliating Styx rips. But Eddie has rediscovered his guitar and unplugged the synths, as if Roth's presence reminded Eddie who his band is named after. Since there's never been a single Van Halen fan in history who secretly wished Eddie would put down the guitar and play more keyboards, this is a coup. Especially because Eddie's solos have the fluency of his early Eighties playing – just listen to him stretch out on "Big River" and "Blood and Fire."
If the songs are based on 1970s demos, that was a wise move, because wherever these 13 tunes came from, there isn't a single Waldo on the bus. The tempos are atomic-punk fast, letting Alex Van Halen rock out on the drums for the first time since his flaming-gong days. Original bassist Michael Anthony is missed for his bot- tom end, and even more for his kicked-in-the-nads harmonies. But Wolfgang Van Halen, Eddie's son, acquits himself superbly – he definitely doesn't flunk if anyone asks, "Have you seen Junior's grades?"
As for Diamond Dave, the gods only made one of him, because they couldn't take the competition. Now this is a rock star, except no other rock star would try to get away with this many cornball one-liners ("It's looking like the city towed my other apartment!"). He's lost a high note or two, but the "stone-cold sister soccer moms" he pursues in "Honeybabysweetiedoll" probably like him better this way.
Read more: http://www.rollingstone.com/music/albumreviews/a-different-kind-of-truth-20120209#ixzz1lvNlac9n
