so according to David D Roth he expressed that Van Halen should not be classified strictly as a metal band due to their musical style and influences which he believes align more closely with hard rock and pop than with traditional heavy metal in various interviews Lee Roth has emphasized that the band sound was more about fun partying and accessibility rather than the darker heavier themes that characterize metal music Roth also pointed out that while Van Halen did incorporate some elements that might be considered metal such as fast guitar Rifts and energetic performance es their overall aesthetic and lyrical content were not aligned with the heavy metal genre he has described their music as having a more celebratory and party oriented Vibe which contrast with the often serious and darker tones found in metal bands like Black Sabbath and Metallica