It’s not easy standing in the shadow of giants — especially when they’re your own bandmates. For Alex Van Halen, that shadow was cast not just by one iconic figure, but two: David Lee Roth, the endlessly flamboyant frontman, and Eddie Van Halen, whose revolutionary guitar playing redefined rock forever.
From their earliest days, Van Halen were a phenomenon. They were a revelation. The kind of band you’d hear about from a friend in school, only to be blown away the first time you catch them live. When they opened for Black Sabbath, they stole the show.
It was a chemistry born of unique parts: Eddie Van Halen with his boundary-smashing guitar work, David Lee Roth bringing theater and swagger to the stage, Michael Anthony anchoring everything with thunderous bass lines and harmonies, and then there was Alex Van Halen, powering it all with rhythmic precision.
But somehow, Alex‘s name doesn’t come up enough. And his nephew, Wolfgang Van Halen, thinks it’s time that changed. Speaking with Drumeo (via Ultimate Guitar), Wolfgang didn’t mince words about the way Alex’s contributions have been overlooked: “I think if he wasn’t in a band with Eddie Van Halen, I think he would be lauded as one of the best, greatest drummers of all time, as rightfully, people do already – the people that really fucking get it. Especially seeing the show live, it’s like you have Dave fucking jumping around and doing pirouettes and shit, and then you got all the crazy shit dad’s doing.”
With that much chaos unfolding onstage, it’s no wonder the intricacies of Alex Van Halen’s drumming get lost in the noise. But to hear Wolfgang tell it, there’s a master at work—if you only take the time to listen.
“There’s so much happening, you can’t really even lock in on the fact that Alex is just demolishing everything in the most amazing way. I think he’s the closest drummer out there that ever got close to Bonham in terms of that feel.”
That’s high praise, especially invoking John Bonham, a name few drummers are compared to lightly. But Wolfgang didn’t stop there. He also pointed out the unique signature in his uncle’s playing.
“When you hear Al play, you know it’s him. I don’t think anybody on the planet has a more locked-in double-kick shuffle than Al did. Like on ‘I’m the One,’ obviously ‘Hot for Teacher.’ It’s just unreal how perfect it is.”
