According to Australia's Triple M, VAN HALEN are locking in dates for an Aussie tour to support a new album that should be out by August this year.

"Van Halen dates are getting locked in. They'll be here with David Lee Roth," reporter Nui Te Koha announced this morning on Triple M Melbourne's Hot Breakfast, "Van Halen representatives were here with THE EAGLES during the Eagles tour in December.

He added: "They're recording a new album at the moment. [Guitarist] Eddie Van Halen says he doesn't want to do any shows until there is new material. And that new material should be out by August."

In a new interview with ABC News Radio, former Van Halen bassist Michael Anthony (CHICKENFOOT) says he's "excited" that his former band are working on new material.

Van Halen are currently in the studio with producer John Shanks, recording their first album with David Lee Roth in more than 25 years, and their first new music as a band in 7 years.

"I'm looking forward to seeing what they'll do," says Anthony, adding that he has "no hard feelings" about his split from the band in 2005, when he was replaced by Eddie Van Halen's son, Wolfgang.

Anthony hasn't spoken to any of the members of VH since the end of the band's 2004 reunion tour with Sammy Hagar, built to promote the ill-conceived two-disc, greatest hits set, Best Of Both Worlds.

Eddie did not want Michael to be a part of the ’04 trek, forcing him to take a pay cut and signing over his rights to any future use of the VH name. After failed attempts at working with Roth, the band needed Hagar for the tour, who refused to sign on unless Anthony was a part of it.

"The tour did not end as harmoniously as we would have liked it to and it probably should have gone on longer than it did," said Anthony.

Despite being publicly slammed by Eddie for the better part of 30 years, Michael remains the diplomat, even going so far as to say that he wouldn't be against having his band Chickenfoot open for VH, should they go on tour.

"I got no problem with that," said the bassist.

Something tells me Hagar might feel differently on that one.

Chickenfoot are also in the studio right now, working on their sophomore album.