Alex Van Halen cracks open family vaults with epic anthology book

Rock fans, get ready to dive deep into one of the greatest bands ever! Alex Van Halen has teamed up with Genesis Publications for VAN HALEN - a strictly limited chronicle that swings open the family archive for the first time.

Pre-orders are now live, but with only 1,500 signed copies worldwide. Expect untold stories from Pasadena backyards to 1984 world domination.

What is in the anthology?

The book features 'a dynamic blend of iconic photography' alongside rare and never-before-seen images, and with exclusive access to Alex Van Halen’s private archives, VAN HALEN offers a 'personally guided tour through the band’s legendary rise'.

"We had our tour passes printed with the acronym W.D.F.A on them – which means ‘We Don’t Fuck Around’ – the reason for that was simply that everybody needs a battle cry, and that happened to be ours", says Alex Van Halen

The description adds: 'VAN HALEN opens the Van Halen family archive for the first time. From the brothers’ arrival in California from Holland in 1962 to backyard parties in Pasadena, their 1978 debut album and the chart-topping success of 1984, the band’s story is explored through an extraordinary collection of correspondence, tour memorabilia, album artwork, press material, musical equipment, unpublished photographs and much more.'

Words from Alex

In the book, Alex shares his most detailed reflections yet in a new manuscript from fresh interviews, alongside archival texts from Eddie and input from bandmates, friends and inspired artists.

He recalls printing tour passes with "W.D.F.A" – short for "We Don’t f--k Around" – because "everybody needs a battle cry, and that happened to be ours".

READ MORE: Listen to the first two songs from The Rolling Stones' 25th studio album 'Foreign Tongues'

What is in the Deluxe set?

Copies 1 to 350 come as Deluxe boxed sets, fully bound in black vegan leather with silver page edging and a patch from the 1982 'Hide Your Sheep' tour. Housed in a clamshell box with the Van Halen emblem and Alex's burning ring design, each includes an 11" x 8" archival art print of the band at collapsed Pier 48 in 1978.

The Deluxe set also includes exact replicas of items from the Van Halen archive: a vintage silver Van Halen logo pin, a 1979 Van Halen Productions keychain, three replica Eddie Van Halen stage-used guitar picks, six 6” × 4” art postcards and a 7" vinyl record (tracks to be announced).

Collector edition details

The remaining copies 351 to 1,500 are Collector boxed sets, quarter-bound in black vegan leather with a silver debossed logo from the 1978 world tour. They arrive in a matching clamshell box and include the keychain, picks, postcards and vinyl.

Pre-orders start from the Collector at £345 (publication price £385), shipping from November 2026. Head to VanHalenAnthology.com to grab yours before they sell out.

The Van Halen legacy

Formed in 1972 with David Lee Roth and Michael Anthony, Van Halen sold over 75 million records, earned Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction in 2007, and defined rock with hits like ‘Runnin’ with the Devil’, ‘Panama’ and ‘Jump’. Alex, starting as a classical pianist before drums, powered their breakthrough from Sunset Strip hustles to headlining after tours with Journey, Ronnie Montrose and Black Sabbath.

The band disbanded in 2020, but this book cements their icon status and Alex's influence on drummers everywhere. Genesis Publications, known for gems with Jimmy Page and Eric Clapton, delivers another collector's dream!