‘Eruption’ Violin Cover Is More Proof Eddie Van Halen Was a Genius

"Eruption" by Van Halen completely reset the trajectory of rock guitar when the band unleashed it as part of their self-titled debut album in 1978. The song's influence is immeasurable, and a new violin cover of Eddie Van Halen's signature solo is further evidence of the late legend's genius as a musician.

The commonalities found within heavy music and classical music are profound and persistent, whether rock and metal musicians are playing neoclassical styled music or using classical's cerebral nature to define their arrangements rather than their note selections. Eddie Van Halen is often regarded as such a unique entity, that his name is worth mentioning in the same breath as history's greatest composers, such as Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Ludwig van Beethoven.

In the video below, the artist who goes by Unlucky Morpheus, performs a thrilling cover of the classic "Eruption," moving about a sun-lit stage with dramatic effect, not unlike Eddie Van Halen's onstage persona. Here, confidence is the key as she feverishly grinds her bow against the strings, replicating the lightning fast melodies that flew from the guitarist's fingers.

Since his death on Oct. 6 of last year, the outpouring of admiration for Eddie Van Halen has been ceaseless — a testament to just how influential a figure he was. On what would have been his 66th birthday (Jan. 26), a massive mural was unveiled outside a Hollywood Guitar Center, showing the icon in one of his animated poses, ripping a guitar a solo.