Van Halen Prepping New Album, Big Tour - Bryan Wawzenek

Van Halen are set to have a big year in 2011, according to reports compiled by MelodicRock.com. The band will embark on an extensive tour, which will include North America, Europe and Australia. The lineup will be the same as it was for the 2007 tour: David Lee Roth, Eddie Van Halen, Alex Van Halen and Wolfgang Van Halen (Eddie’s son).

Plus, the group are working on a new album – the band’s first since 1998, and the first with Roth since the mid-’80s. Although there has been no official word on the project from the Van Halen camp, Roth is reportedly recording his vocals away from the band’s 5150 studio while Eddie works on the music. The man who’s producing the album is Ross Hogarth, who has previously worked with Mötley Crüe, DevilDriver and others. Over the summer, Hogarth made a cryptic online posting: “The record I just started ROCKS!!! [It] will be amazing... That is all I will say...”

According to MelodicRock.com, the new album is planned to be released on Warner Bros. records in early 2011. In the meantime, the label is working on putting out a few other vintage Van Halen products, including the Blu-ray editions of the Sammy Hagar-era titles Live Without a Net and Live: Right Here, Right Now.

Vinyl releases of classic Van Halen albums are also being prepped. Van Halen II, Women and Children Firstand 1984 are all set to appear on LP on December 13.