MAMMOTH WVH, the project led by Wolfgang Van Halen, the ex-bassist of the band VAN HALEN and son of the late guitarist Eddie Van Halen, will release its sophomore album, “Mammoth II”, on August 4 via BMG. The 10-track record was recorded at the legendary 5150 studio and was produced by Wolfgang‘s friend and collaborator Michael “Elvis” Baskette.
Continuing the tradition of writing all of the songs and performing all of the instrumentation and vocals himself, Wolfgang set out to challenge himself to expand his sound beyond what people had already come to know him for. From the rocking opener “Right?” to BEATLES-esque fade on closer “Better Than You”, “Mammoth II” showcases the growth of Wolfgang as a songwriter, musician and especially vocalist. Songs like “Like A Pastime”, “Take A Bow” and “Waiting” are all sonically different from each other but unique to what mastermind Wolfgang Van Halen and MAMMOTH WVH is.
The debut single from “Mammoth II” is the upbeat rocker “Another Celebration At The End Of The World”. The single is currently impacting radio and the music video for “Another Celebration At The End Of The World” is an 8:25 introduction to the MAMMOTH WVH live band. Picking up where the No. 1 single “Don’t Back Down” music video left off, the new video showcases a frustrated Wolfgang firing the other Wolfgangs from that video and replacing them with his live band featuring Frank Sidoris (guitars), Jon Jourdan (guitars), Ronnie Ficarro (bass) and Garrett Whitlock (drums). The video was directed by Gordy De St. Jeor and can be seen below.
“Mammoth II” is available for pre-order in multiple configurations HERE.
Wolfgang says: “I knew that I wanted the new album to contain elements of what people heard on the debut, but also giving me a chance to branch out a bit. ‘Another Celebration At The End Of the World’ is definitely a song that showcases what people can expect from the new album. It is a high-energy rocker with some fun guitar moments on it. I also pushed myself vocally and it is a song I can’t wait to get out and play live. I can see it being a fixture in our live set moving forward.”
MammothWVH II” Artwork
“Mammoth II” track listing:
1. Right?
2. Like A Pastime
3. Another Celebration At The End Of The World
4. Miles Above Me
5. Take A Bow
6. Optimist
7. I’m Alright
8. Erase Me
9. Waiting
10. Better Than You
MAMMOTH WVH‘s debut album was released via Explorer1 Music Group/EX1 Records. Featuring Wolfgang on vocals and all instruments, “Mammoth WVH” was met with positive reviews and topped Billboard‘s Top Hard Rock Albums and Top Rock Albums charts.
MAMMOTH WVH‘s first single, “Distance”, reached No. 1 on the MediaBase and BDS Active Rock Radio charts. A tribute to Wolfgang‘s father, the song was not originally intended to be on MAMMOTH WVH‘s debut album, but due to the overwhelming response to its accompanying video, which has been viewed over six million times on YouTube, it was added as a bonus track. All of Wolfgang‘s proceeds from “Distance” are being donated to Mr. Holland’s Opus.
MAMMOTH WVH made its television debut in February 2021, performing “Distance” on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” and running through an exclusive acoustic arrangement on “Today”.
“Distance” is an open letter to Wolfgang‘s father, declaring “no matter what the distance is, I will be with you.” The video for the song is created from a collection of family home movies through the years and offers an inside look in to one of music’s most notable personalities. Chronicling the family through the years, the video ends with a touching voicemail left from Eddie to his son.
In November 2020, Wolfgang confirmed that he asked his father for permission to use the MAMMOTH WVH band name for his solo project. MAMMOTH WVH is a nod to family history — Eddie and Alex Van Halen‘s band was called MAMMOTH when singer David Lee Roth first joined it in 1974.
Last November, MAMMOTH WVH released a digital deluxe edition of the debut album via EX1 Records. The new digital deluxe features the bonus track from the Japanese version of the album, “Talk & Walk”, as well as two previously unreleased tracks, “As Long As You’re Not You” and “Goodbye”.
