One of the most looked-forward to rock books of recent times has to be this title by Alex Van Halen. Why? Because ever since Van Halen apparently went into hiding after their last-ever tour wrapped up in 2015, little has been heard from the group's drummer. And his refusal to do interviews continued through the tragic passing of his younger brother, Eddie, in 2020…up until now, with the release of his first-ever book, Brothers.

Now be forewarned, if you are expecting a book that covers Van Halen's entire career (including everything that went on post-split of the definitive VH line-up in 1985), this ain't the book for you, as it completely bypasses the Hagar and best-forgotten Cherone eras. 

As a result, we do not get the lowdown on what was going on behind the scenes during certain eras where little was heard from the band (such as a recent discovery that the VH bros attempted to enlist Ozzy as their singer right around the time that The Osbournes TV show was launched), the various attempts at reuniting with Roth, Eddie's final years, etc.

But what we do finally get is the backstory concerning the VH family, and in particular, what Alex's relationship was like with his parents, Jan and Eugenia, adapting to life in the US/California, becoming a drummer, etc. Also included are many never-before-seen photos (although very few pix of Roth are included, and zero of Hagar). 

Still, Brothers is a must-read for VH fans, as there is a lot to discover here. That said, you can't be left going 'Huh?' by the omission of almost everything VH-related post-1985.