A Different Kind of Truth

A Different Kind of Truth is a work on which VAN HALEN, welcoming David Lee Roth again, once more foregrounded the band’s inherent rock ’n’ roll feel through thick riffs, bouncing rhythm and unrestrained vocals. While newly reassembling ideas from early songs, the playing is not mere reproduction but has present-day momentum. That Eddie’s son Wolfgang Van Halen took over bass in place of Michael Anthony also drew attention. On “Tattoo,” “She's the Woman,” “Stay Frosty” and “China Town,” Eddie Van Halen’s guitar rings vividly throughout. Songs like “Blood and Fire” and “Bullethead” breathe the band’s characteristic playfulness and explosiveness too. What moves the songs is the whole band’s light groove. The only studio work after Roth’s return and Eddie’s last album in his lifetime, it is a powerful record for fully enjoying VAN HALEN’s characteristic playfulness and explosiveness.