Mammoth

GRAMMY® Award-nominated songwriter, vocalist, multi-instrumentalist, and producer Wolfgang Van Halen continues to separate Mammoth from the pack. The music stands alone on a foundation anchored by his impressive sonic proficiency (across drums, bass, keys, and guitar) and airtight arena-size hooks with unforgettable vocals. He harbors an irresistible signature sound, inventive vision, and incomparable identity vaunted by a fervent global fanbase. For as unique as the music is, his story so far proves to be just as unprecedented. This is arguably the first hard rock act to genuinely break out from ground zero in the 2020’s, generating north of 100 million streams, toppling charts, and selling out headline tours less than five years since its debut.

As always, Wolfgang pushes forward on Mammoth’s third full-length LP, The End [BMG].

“I’m constantly striving to be my own unique artist even though my last name naturally generates comparisons,” says Wolfgang. “I’m proud of this record because it represents major growth in all angles. There’s a sense of progression to the songwriting. I think it’s a big turning point.”

He certainly put in the work to reach this point. Back in 2021, Mammoth’s first offering, Mammoth WVH, took flight, bowing at #12 on the Billboard 200 and capturing #1 on three Billboard charts—Top Hard Rock Albums, Top Independent Albums, and Top Rock Albums. “Distance” soared as the first of two #1 Rock Radio Hits and earned a GRAMMY® Award nomination for “Best Rock Song.” Two years later, Mammoth II only saw him pick up the pace. It debuted in the Top 5 of the Billboard Top Album Sales Chart in addition to bringing him back to #1 on the Top Hard Rock Albums Chart. Inciting widespread applause from Rolling Stone, Guitar World, GRAMMY.com, KERRANG!, and more, Classic Rock hailed it as “a solo second that betters his debut in every department,” and American Songwriter applauded, “II reveals a closer representation of what Mammoth is now and Van Halen’s dynamism as a musician and as a writer.” The band canvased the globe with Metallica, supported Foo Fighters in North America, supported Creed on their record-breaking tour as well as filling houses on their own. They performed on NBC’s TODAY, ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel LIVE! and at the 2024 MusiCares “Person of the Year” benefit gala in honor of Jon Bon Jovi. Not to mention, Wolfgang shared the stage with Ryan Gosling, Mark Ronson and Slash at the 2024 Academy Awards performing “I’m Just Ken” from the blockbuster Barbie movie. He also joined Maynard James Keenan [Tool, A Perfect Circle], Chad Smith [Red Hot Chili Peppers], Robert Trujillo [Metallica], and producer Andrew Watt for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame® Induction of Ozzy Osbourne that same year.

Throughout late 2024, Wolfgang built the framework for The End. Rather than compose demos on his computer, he took a different approach. Recording at 5150 Studios with longtime producer Michael “Elvis” Baskette, he demoed parts by actually performing them in the moment and literally running back and forth between instruments.

“In the past, I would use Logic Pro to sit there and type out a drum part with MIDI drums and then play guitar to it,” he recalls. “This time, I was able to play guitar in the moment, run out, and play drums. It was way more fun to sit at the kit and perform what naturally came to me. Doing these parts back-to-back in real-time was a game changer. We were making demos live, which I’ve never done. It was so important to this record.”

As such, the music teems with an undeniable sense of urgency. You can hear it loud and clear on lead single “The End.” Frenetic two-hand tapping lights the fuse for the track as an equally unpredictable bassline answers in kind. Surrounded by sonic fireworks, he issues an apocalyptically glorious invitation on the refrain, “Take your hand in mine and watch the end with me,” culminating on one last head-spinning solo.

“I’ve had the tapping idea on the intro since before Mammoth,” he divulges. “I was able to fit it into this world. It’s still over-the-top and shreddy, but it’s also melodic and controlled. Overall, I was doing some different things on the record, and I knew this was going to be a big step. Once we finished ‘The End,’ it felt really special to me. I knew it   had to be the title of the album. It has duality. It can be a good thing or a bad thing—the end of good times or the end of bad times.”

It also set the tone for a  loose thematic thread across the record. He goes on, “Writing is a therapeutic experience, and it helps me deal with many things emotionally. I had a bad panic attack that fucked me up last year. So, ‘The End’ represents how it feels like the world is over in my brain during any moment of trial or tribulation. Even if it seems like the end, there’s always a way to get through it and a light at the end of the tunnel. It’s not a concept album, but all of the topics are closely related.”

Elsewhere, a palm-muted groove sets “The Spell” in motion. The incisive riff ping-pongs across an off-kilter drumbeat. In the eye of the storm, he assures, “Whatever spell your under, bleeding your wonder, we can work this out.”

“‘The Spell’ lent itself to more of a woozy seventies rock vibe, and I got comfortable with vocal runs I wouldn’t have done before,” he states. “It’s a good-feeling song. If you aren’t hip to musical technicality, you can enjoy it. If you’re super into cool riffs and drum fills, those are there too. My M.O. in Mammoth is to have fun musically, but never let it get in the way of the song.”

Then, there’s the swaggering stomp of “Same Old Song.” In between blinking piano keys, overdriven chords underline an unshakable chant, “Why’d you have to be the same? I think you lost yourself along the way. You sit and sing the same old song like everyone.”

“It’s got the classic Mammoth fuzzy guitar,” he says. “It’s almost like the sequel to ‘Don’t Back Down’. It’s the same sort of ‘Don’t fuck with me’ arena song, but it feels like an evolution. If you like Mammoth already, you’re going to dig it. However, it’s rhythmically quick and swaggy, which I wouldn’t normally do. You don’t grow without challenging yourself.”

“Selfish” goes right for the jugular. Its breakneck drum roll collides into a walloping punch of distortion delivered with the force of an off-the-rails freight train. Meanwhile, he warns, “Because of your selfishness, everything you live for, everything you love will all be gone.”

“It’s one of the heavier songs we’ve done,” he notes. “It’s super aggressive. The tempo really ramps up just before this last exhale.”

Expanding the world of Mammoth, a piece of art by Moon Patrol adorns the cover, depicting a man on fire. Plus, Wolfgang co-wrote the music video for “The End” with none other than legendary filmmaker Robert Rodriguez [Desperado, Sin City, Spy Kids] who got behind the camera for the visual. Together, they throw it back to Rodriguez’s cult favorite Quentin Tarantino collab From Dusk Till Dawn. Greg Nicotero [The Walking Dead] provided the makeup as well as cameos by Danny Trejo, Slash, Myles Kennedy and his mother, Valerie Bertinelli. It’s Wolfgang like you’ve never seen him!

The End also sees Wolfgang embrace the name “Mammoth” without the initial “WVH” that previously followed.

“I’ve wanted to be just ‘Mammoth’ since the beginning,” he says. “We put in a crazy amount of work to get here, and we’ve been able to embrace this name. It’s also our first titled album without a number. It feels like a rebirth.”

Ultimately, Mammoth will always stand alone.

“This is everything to me,” he leaves off. “It’s even more special and important that people around the world have found meaning in it and derived enjoyment from listening to it and coming to shows. I’d be doing this regardless. It brings my life purpose and happiness. It helps me process emotions and life. When it reaches someone else, it’s the most amazing feeling. This is my main priority. It’s all I want to do.”