10 Massive Albums That Never Lived Up To The Hype
9. A Different Kind of Truth - Van Halen
As the mid ‘00s soldiered on, it really looked like any chance of a new Van Halen album was out of the question. Eddie had spent a long time not taking care of himself, and even when the band reunited with David Lee Roth, it looked like their wild experiment with Gary Cherone on Van Halen III was going to be their last real artistic gasp. Once Eddie’s son Wolfie found some of his dad’s old tapes though, Van Halen were ready to kick some ass again…kinda.
Although there are some real gems on A Different Kind of Truth, most of these tunes tend to feel more like an odds and ends collection from the classic era of Diamond Dave than anything that’s going to give 1984 a run for its money. Hearing Eddie shred is rarely ever a bad thing, but the real Achilles’ heel to this album is Dave’s voice. Though it’s not really his fault, most of these songs were written back when Dave still had his signature squawk, and it tends to get a little shaky when he starts reaching into his upper register these days.
The production also leaves a lot to be desired here, especially with the lack of Michael Anthony and Wolfie’s bass being pushed so far in the back that you can barely make out what he’s actually playing. If anything though, this is miles ahead of what the Cherone years had to offer, and it’s nice to see Van Halen ending things on their own terms.