Van Halen have been stingy with news regarding their plans for a follow-up to 2012's 'A Different Kind of Truth,' but a Facebook photo has some fans wondering if work on the new record is much further along than anyone could have guessed.

The picture comes courtesy of mastering engineer Howie Weinberg, who posted a snapshot of himself standing outside his studio with Eddie Van Halen on July 10. The caption reads simply, "Eddie Van Halen came by to visit Howie at his studio."

And maybe -- perhaps probably -- that's all that happened. Weinberg is a longtime music business vet who goes way back with the Van Halen crowd; some of his many, many credits include David Lee Roth's early solo work, as well as 'A Different Kind of Truth,' and this photo could be evidence of nothing more than two pals catching up.

On the other hand, it wouldn't be out of the question for the band to wait until their new album was mastered and ready to ship to stores before announcing anything to the public. Unlike a lot of bands in the social media era, they seem to relish secrecy, and Roth has loudly hinted at impending music in recent interviews, saying he thought a new record could be out as early as 2015 and teasing a "great Van Halen project" in the works just a few months ago.

At this point, only Howie Weinberg and Eddie Van Halen know the story behind that photo, and neither of them are talking. In the meantime, it sure is fun to imagine that a new record could be right around the corner.

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