In a chat with metaltalk.net, Wolfgang Van Halen provided an update on the new Mammoth WVH album, saying he is “about halfway through” the recording process.
The former Van Halen bassist said, “I'm about halfway through. I got a bunch of stuff recorded before we started on this tour. And then once I go home, I'll have a little holiday break, but then in January I'm gonna finish it. So it'll be ready to be released sometime next year."
According to Guitar World, Wolfgang Van Halen and his EVH co-runner Matt Bruck recently sat down with the publication to discuss what electric guitars the brand has in store for future releases – a topic of conversation that teased the arrival of some boundary-pushing axes for the firm.
When asked whether we’d be seeing a replica of Eddie Van Halen’s original Kramer 5150 – the model the late guitar legend developed in the mid-'80s – Bruck said it was “part of a conversation”, but admitted fans should expect to see significant shake-ups in the existing 5150 Series first. Specifically, 24-fret and hardtail-equipped iterations of the 5150 Series models, which were first developed as a nod to Eddie Van Halen’s original red-white-and-black Kramer original, are on the way.
It goes without saying that such appointments would drastically alter the DNA of Eddie Van Halen’s flagship 5150.
"It’s in the queue," Bruck said of the 5150 replica. "We just can’t do everything all at one time. The replicas are special. We have never thought, 'Nah, we don’t need to do that.' There are also some really cool things going on in the 5150 Series of guitars that Wolf has suggested."
Wolfgang continued, "I really do like the 5150 Series guitars. It’s one thing to do a replica, and it’s cool to play a guitar that looks like the ones my pop played, but there’s also something really special to me about being able to reflect yourself in the instrument. The non-striped issues of those guitars are a really exciting proposition."
Read the complete report here.
Wolfgang revealed in an October Instagram post that he has begun tracking the second Mammoth WVH album. The debut was issued in June 2021.
Wolfgang wrote in a post:
“On December 28th 2014, I was getting ready to start tracking what would become the first Mammoth album. I had been practicing drums in the studio when Pop came in, grabbed my bass and started jamming with me. It was so much fun. It’s little moments like these I feel I took for granted. Moments that I can’t have anymore.
“As I’m getting ready to start tracking the 2nd Mammoth album tomorrow (I’ve been in pre-production the past month) I can’t stop thinking about this moment and how he won’t be around for it this time. I’m still not used to it. I don’t know when or if I’ll ever get used to it.
“It’ll be 2 years in 3 days and I don’t feel any different. All of these emotions just kinda sitting in me at all times. Sometimes it’s easier to carry, other times (like right now) it isn’t. His pride is what keeps me going, but without him here it’s easy to get lost. Easy to get stuck in my head. Easy to fall into that familiar cycle of doubt and self-loathing.
“Somehow, I’ve figured out how to keep going. Music is all I have left when it comes to feeling close to him anymore. But knowing he won’t be here this time to laugh, jam and hang throughout the whole process is tough now that I’ve gotten here. All I can do is try my best and continue to be the son he was proud of.
“I just miss my dad.”
