According to Melodicrock.com, VAN HALEN's long-awaited new studio album is being produced by Ross Hogarth, who has previously worked with MÖTLEY CRÜE, COAL CHAMBER, FASTER PUSSYCAT and DEVILDRIVER, among others. Hogarth wrote in an early July online posting, "The record I just started ROCKS!!! [It] will be amazing... That is all I will say..."
Music publishing company Warner/Chappell Music announced in August that it had extended its publishing administration contract with guitarist Eddie Van Halen and drummer Alex Van Halen, noting that the band "is currently in the studio recording an album with (singer David Lee) Roth that is due for release in 2011."
Meanwhile, according to Billboard.com, VAN HALEN manager Irving Azoff, who is also the executive chairman of Live Nation, mentioned on two separate conference calls that VAN HALEN was expected to hit the road next year, presumably in support of a new record.
Word of a new VAN HALEN album, the band's first with original vocalist David Lee Roth on the mic since 1983, first began circulating in late June when MelodicRock.com reported from an unnamed source that the project was halfway completed.
VAN HALEN spokesperson Janie Van Halen, Eddie's wife, denied the rumors, telling Rolling Stone, "I don't have any updates at this time."
Eddie himself told Rolling Stone last year that he was working on material for a new record, but was waiting for his hand to heal from surgery and for his son and bassist Wolfgang to graduate from high school.
A new VAN HALEN record would be the band's first full studio effort since 1998's "Van Halen III", which featured Gary Cherone on lead vocals.
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VAN HALEN's 2008 reunion tour with Roth grossed more than $93 million and drew nearly one million fans to 74 shows.
