EVH was a one dimensional player.
Shred, shred, shred. It’s all he had.
No melody, no drama.
Suggest you listen to "Spanish Fly", and acoustic number off Van Halen II. He also plays a great slide acoustic on "Could This be Magic" from Women and Children First, and as for drama, that album again has a great example of dramatic chord progression and build up on "In a Simple Rhyme". Eddie Van Halen’s guitar work on that song is restrained and atmospheric, while the arrangement is unhurried, making it a reflective closing moment on a record known for its high-energy anthems and the power chord virtuosity of "Romeo Delight". Hell, that whole album is a great example of Eddie and the band's progression musically with a diverse sound set.
He was more of a stylist than a player.