Any day now, Van Halen is expected to unveil the details of their first full-length album with original lead singer David Lee Roth since '1984.' Obviously, any cynic could come up with an article about the Five Things That Could Go Wrong With Van Halen's New Album, but what if we were to also give this legendary band the respect and faith they're due, and instead focus on Five Things That Could Go Right With Van Halen's New Album:

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    'Diamond Dave' is back!

    That's right, for the first time in more than 27 years, the Van Halen brothers will be reunited with original lead singer David Lee Roth on their new album. These guys crawled up from the clubs to sold-out arenas together, and batted six-for-six in terms of awesome albums, so, really, what's the sense in betting against them to succeed again?

  • 4

    Now with 50% more Van Halen!

    Yes, the loss of original bassist and back-up vocalist Michael Anthony (who's currently cavorting with second VH singer Sammy Hagar in Chickenfoot) will hurt Van Halen. Luckily, Eddie Van Halen literally bred the perfect replacement: his own son, Wolfgang, a 20-year-old virtuoso who's reportedly going to be given more musical room to roam than his predecessor.

  • 3

    They do a kick-ass cover or two

    Reportedly, the band has toyed for years with the idea of adding Wilson Pickett's soul classic 'In the Midnight Hour' to their list of awesomely-done cover songs. From 'You Really Got Me' to 'Pretty Woman' and 'You're No Good,' cover tunes have always been a highlight of new Van Halen records, and we're ready for another unique reinvention on their next album.

  • 2

    They grow up ... but not too much

    Van Halen were somehow able to pull off signing school-boy songs like 'Hot for Teacher' as fully grown men back in the early '80's, but almost three decades later it's hard to imagine that s--- flying very far anymore. So, obviously the band's lyrics and maybe even musical style needs to grow up ... but only a bit. After all, who wants a Van Halen album that isn't based on hard-rock riffs? Still, hopefully some measure of maturity, perhaps something resembling 'Secrets' from 'Diver Down,' is in the cards.

  • 1

    The spirit of their last tour continues

    Against all odds, after more than two decades of acrimonious bickering, not to mention the respective parties following wildly divergent career paths, three of the original members of Van Halen got back together in 2007 for a reunion tour that raised eyebrows as much as anticipation. And yet, from the first moment the new Van Halen broke into 'You Really Got Me' on stage together, there was no question that their chemistry remained intact. If they can keep that spirit going, there's no reason the new Van Halen album won't be great.

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