Total Guitar recently caught up with Wolfgang Van Halen to discuss the making of his new Mammoth WVH album, plans for his signature guitars, staying true to not including Van Halen songs in his live Mammoth WVH sets, and why there won't be any Eddie Van Halen tribute shows.
Following is an excerpt from the story:
Anyone hoping to hear Wolfgang engaging those classic sounds for covers of "Panama", "Hot For Teacher" and "On Fire" – as he did at the two Taylor Hawkins tribute shows – would be advised not to hold their breath. As sad as it may be for a lot of fans, Wolfgang sees little chance of a Van Halen reunion tribute show or tour to honour his father. It is what it is, he shrugs.
"Unfortunately, with the way Van Halen operates and has operated, I don’t think it’s possible. With Foo Fighters and what they pulled off with the Taylor Hawkins tributes, the whole organisation from the ground up is very rooted in not too much personnel. With Van Halen and all of the history behind it, there may be a bit too much of that to be put aside for what should happen. Personally, I feel like I got my closure when I played the Taylor Hawkins tributes, because – at least just for me – they were just as much about my dad as they were Taylor."
Read the complete story here.
Wolfgang Van Halen's Mammoth WVH recently announced a headline tour this fall to support Mammoth II. These dates come on the heels of the band’s successful European tour that saw them opening for Metallica, Alter Bridge, and Def Leppard/Motley Crüe.
The headline tour will kick off November 4 in Milwaukee, WI and run through December 9 when Mammoth returns home to Los Angeles. The headline run will make stops in Chicago, IL (November 9), Sayreville, NJ (November 17), Dallas TX (November 25) and Seattle, WA (December 3) to name a few. The headline dates will feature Nita Strauss as direct support. These dates also come as Mammoth picks up their spot opening for Metallica in the US for their previously announced dates on November 3 in St. Louis and November 10t in Detroit.
Tour dates:
November
4 - Milwaukee, WI - The Rave ^
5 - Minneapolis, MN - First Avenue ^
7 - Columbus, OH - The Bluestone ^
9 - Chicago, IL - The Vic Theatre ^
11 - Grand Rapids, MI - Elevation at the Intersection ^
13 - Toronto, ON - The Danforth Music Hall ^
14 - Montreal, QC - Théâtre Beanfield ^
15 - Boston, MA - Big Night Live ^
17 - Sayreville, NJ - Starland Ballroom ^
18 - Philadelphia, PA - Keswick Theatre ^
19 - Baltimore, MD - Rams Head Live ^
21 - Atlanta, GA - Buckhead Theater ^
22 - Lake Buena Vista, FL - House Of Blues ^ Nov 24 - Houston, TX - Warehouse Live Ballroom ^
25 - Dallas, TX - The Factory in Deep Ellum ^
26 - Austin, TX - Emo’s ^
28 - Denver, CO - Gothic Theatre ^
29 - Salt Lake City, UT - The Depot ^
30 - Boise, ID - Knitting Factory ^
December
2 - Spokane, WA - Knitting Factory ^
3 - Seattle, WA - The Showbox ^
4 - Portland, OR - Roseland Theater ^
7 - San Diego, CA - House of Blues ^
8 - Las Vegas, NV - House of Blues ^
9 - Los Angeles, CA - The Belasco ^
Find the band's complete tour itinerary and further details at mammothwvh.com.
Mammoth II is slated for release on August 4 via BMG. Recorded at the legendary 5150 studio, the new album was produced by friend and collaborator Michael “Elvis” Baskette. Mammoth II is available for pre-order in multiple configurations here.
Continuing the tradition of writing all of the songs and performing all of the instrumentation and vocals himself, Wolfgang Van Halen 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 the 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.
“I knew that I wanted the new album to contain elements of what people heard on the debut, but also give 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,” explains Wolfgang Van Halen.
Mammoth II tracklisting:
"Right?"
"Like A Pastime"
"Another Celebration At The End Of The World"
"Miles Above Me"
"Take A Bow"
"Optimist"
"I’m Alright"
"Erase Me"
"Waiting"
"Better Than You"
"Take A Bow" lyric video:
“Like A Pastime” lyric video:
"Another Celebration At The End Of The World" video:
