When Van Halen reunited with original frontman David Lee Roth in 2006, the long-awaited comeback came with an unexpected twist: bassist Michael Anthony — a member of the band since its earliest days — was nowhere in the lineup.
In his place was a new addition to the Van Halen family: Wolfgang Van Halen, the teenage son of guitarist Eddie Van Halen. The move sparked immediate backlash from some fans, many of whom viewed it as nepotism. But according to drummer Alex Van Halen, Anthony wasn’t pushed out — he simply stopped responding.
Speaking recently to the Brazilian outlet KazaGastão, Alex said the band did reach out to its longtime bass guitarist before moving forward.
“People think there were family influences in how he [Wolfgang] became part of the band, which is simply not true,” he said. “Ed and I, as usual, were in the studio alone, because nobody else tolerated it. They’d rather be at the beach.
“We did call Mike, because we owed him that. We did call him, and he just didn’t answer. I’m not mad at Mike, but we had the same manager. Come on — you’ve gotta work for this.”
According to Alex, Wolfgang’s arrival came about naturally while he and Eddie were working in the studio.
“Nobody showed up,” he recalled. “One day Ed and I were playing, and this bass comes in. It had a nice feel to it. Behind the curtain it was Wolf.”
Wolfgang would go on to play bass on the band’s final studio album, A Different Kind of Truth, released in 2012. He later said his presence also helped bring the group back to the stage, noting that playing with his son was “one of [Eddie’s] favorite things.”
Since his father’s death in 2020, however, Wolfgang has largely avoided leaning on the Van Halen legacy. Apart from appearances such as the Taylor Hawkins Tribute Concert, he has focused on his own project, Mammoth WVH.
Alex says that independence has been intentional.
“He’s very careful that he doesn’t want to be Ed Jr,” the drummer said. “He was in a very tough spot. He could have just continued with the Van Halen stuff, but he decided he was his own man.”
Wolfgang himself has stressed that his musical approach differs from his father’s. Speaking in 2024, he said, “I approach guitar playing more as a producer and more as a drummer than a guitar player. Rhythm is always the first thing for me, and melody is the second. It’s more about songwriting when it comes to Mammoth. Not every song needs a solo.”
Meanwhile, Alex has been working on unreleased Van Halen material recorded with Eddie before his death. The project, reportedly being developed with guitarist Steve Lukather, is intended as a follow-up to A Different Kind of Truth. It’s not yet clear whether Wolfgang will take part or who will provide vocals, though guitarist Steve Vai — who has heard some of the archive recordings — has suggested the music is promising.
