10 Hard Rock Albums That Are Worse Than You Remember
5. A Different Kind of Truth - Van Halen
To say that the rock community was a little bit hyped after Van Halen reunited with David Lee Roth is a bit of an understatement. Seeing how Roth and Eddie had fallen out famously back in the mid '80s, the idea of them coming together for a tour and even a new album was more than your average rocker could handle at one time. However, a lot can happen with a few decades under their belt.
In reality, A Different Kind of Truth wasn't supposed to exist at all, being leftovers from the early '80s that Wolfgang Van Halen convinced his dad to finish up. While most of the record reads like a Van Halen album in the playing, Roth's shriek is nowhere near as powerful as it used to be, making for some pretty pathetic attempts on songs like China Town. It also doesn't help that Michael Anthony wasn't asked to join the party, and while Wolfie is a competent player, the bass is mixed too low to even make out.
Given that Van Halen's last record was Van Halen III though, this was probably as good a reunion as you could have expected from the kings of the hair metal movement. Now that a Van Halen reunion is no longer a possibility, it's nice that Eddie at least went out on his own terms.