Sammy Hagar isn't pulling any punches when it comes to the new live album from his old band Van Halen.

“They’ve got some pretty rough vocals,” Hagar tells the Las Vegas Review Journal, before talking frankly about his attempts to avoid all things Van Halen when talking with reporters. "I try to stay away from criticism, but here I am, already starting this interview with it. It’s impossible to stay away from. Standing back, I’m just going, ‘What the (expletive) are these guys thinking?'"

The just-released Toyko Dome Live in Concert is Van Halen's first-ever live recording with original frontman David Lee Roth -- the singer Hagar succeeded in Van Halen between 1985-1996.

“I’m trying to tread lightly on the whole thing,” Hagar adds. “Every time they do something, I’m like, 'Oh my god, can these guys do anything worse to their reputation and to the level of the music of the band?'"

Later, Hagar admits that he often thinks better of what he says about his ex-group, after the comments have already been published. “Yeah, I’ll tell you anything,” he said. “Then I read my interview, and I go, ‘Dammit, I shouldn’t have said that. Next time, I gotta watch out.’ After my 30,000th interview of my life, I’m still going, ‘Oh boy, I shouldn’t have done that.'"

Hagar has his own upcoming live album, recorded with a new group called Circle that features former Van Halen bandmate Michael Anthony. Roth and company are also set for a series of 2015 dates.

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