In a startling reveal, Michael Anthony looked back on his often strange times while performing with legendary rock band Van Halen. Anthony stated that while making the abysmal Van Halen III that it shelved a follow-up that had some “really good” songs.

According to a report published via Ultimate Classic Rock, Anthony says:

“I remember Alex was going through a divorce, and there’d be times where we’d start up in the studio and he … would record for a half hour, then have to leave to meet with his lawyer.”

Van Halen III marked the band’s only album with then-former Extreme singer Gary Cherone following the departure of Sammy Hagar. It also marked a major sonic departure and was received lukewarmly by fans and critics alike, going only gold after a string of multiplatinum successes.

Still, Cherone, it was said, had great chemistry with the rest of the band and gamely collaborated with Eddie Van Halen. “Gary actually moved into the guest house up there by Ed,” Anthony told Trunk. “And Ed would be calling him in the middle of the night, all hours of the day, saying, ‘Hey, I’ve got an idea for this!’ And Gary grew a little old of that, so he finally moved out of the house there.”