Wolfgang Van Halen recently opened up about his uncle, Alex Van Halen, and the underappreciated brilliance of his drumming. During a candid conversation on Drumeo, Wolfgang argued that Alex deserves far more recognition than he currently receives.

Praising Alex’s talent, Wolfgang explained that the drummer’s role in Van Halen often went unnoticed because of the larger-than-life presence of other band members—especially his father, Eddie Van Halen.

“I think if he [Alex Van Halen] 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 f*cking get it,” Wolfgang said. “Especially seeing the show live, it’s like you have Dave f*cking jumping around and doing pirouettes and sh*t, and then you got all the crazy sh*t dad’s doing.”

Wolfgang went on to explain how the high-energy performances often distracted audiences from Alex’s exceptional skills behind the kit.

“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,” he explained. “I think he’s the closest drummer out there that ever got close to Bonham in terms of that feel.”

He also praised Alex Van Halen’s signature style and the unique groove he brought to every track.

“When you hear Al play, you know it’s him,” Wolfgang noted. “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.”

While Van Halen’s legacy is often dominated by Eddie’s guitar work and David Lee Roth’s stage presence, Wolfgang’s comments serve as a reminder that Alex Van Halen’s drumming played a vital—yet often overlooked—role in shaping the band’s iconic sound.