Alex Van Halen Teams Up With Steve Lukather for New Album Project

Alex Van Halen has confirmed that he is preparing to begin work on a new album with Toto guitarist and renowned session musician Steve Lukather. The legendary drummer shared the news during an appearance on the Metal Sticks podcast with Iron Maiden’s Nicko McBrain.

“I’m getting ready to do this record with Lukather and a couple of other people,” Van Halen said. “It should be exciting.”

Van Halen stopped short of offering further details, emphasizing that the project remains fluid and that Lukather has not been assigned a specific role. Known for both his work with Toto and decades of high-profile studio sessions, Lukather appears to be involved more as a creative collaborator than a traditional bandmate.

Unreleased Van Halen Recordings in the Vault

The comments have fueled speculation that the album may be tied to Van Halen’s long-discussed plans to complete unreleased recordings created with his brother Eddie Van Halen, who died in 2020 at the age of 65. In recent interviews, Van Halen has acknowledged the existence of a substantial archive of unheard material.

In November 2024, he revealed that there were “three or four” albums’ worth of recordings still stored away. “They will stay there until we figure out how and why and what to do with them,” he said at the time, stressing that any eventual release would need to meet the artistic standards he and Eddie upheld during their career. “We’re not just gonna shovel it in,” he added, noting that many world-class musicians had expressed interest in contributing if the circumstances were right.

Lukather’s Role and a Deliberate Creative Process

In early 2025, Van Halen told the Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf that Lukather had agreed to help him work through the unfinished recordings, citing the deep friendship and musical history Lukather shared with Eddie Van Halen. “Ed and Steve Lukather were very good friends and they often worked together,” Van Halen said. “There is no one who can do this process with me as well as he can.”

Lukather later clarified that his involvement would be strictly limited. Framing his role as closer to that of a co-producer, he firmly rejected any notion of performing on the tracks himself. “Al asked me to help him go thru a ton of unfinished recordings of Al and Ed writing and recording that never saw the light of day,” Lukather explained. “The fact that anyone would think for even a second that I would play anything on this is ridiculous. I have too much love and respect for that and I play nothing like Ed.”

That philosophy mirrors Van Halen’s broader view of collaboration. Speaking on Metal Sticks, he described his working relationship with Lukather as one rooted in trust and shared creative instinct rather than contracts or rigid expectations. “We do it because we like something or we want to do it because it’s creative,” he said, adding that overly specific definitions can stifle the process before it has a chance to evolve.

For Van Halen, the careful, unhurried approach appears intentional. Rather than rushing to finalize or release material tied to one of rock’s most revered legacies, he seems focused on honoring both the music and the bond he shared with his brother. If the project ultimately takes shape, it will likely do so on its own terms — guided by restraint, respect, and a commitment to ensuring that anything bearing the Van Halen name feels earned rather than merely completed.