With cameos by Danny Trejo, Slash, Myles Kennedy, Valerie Bertinelli and the Mammoth live band, Wolfgang Van Halen has released an amazing video for the new Mammoth single The End. The film was created by Wolfgang and legendary director Robert Rodriguez and features monster effects by icon Greg Nicotero.
With The End, Wolfgang Van Halen has unleashed a blistering taster to the new Mammoth album. There are so many different influences in both the song and the video that it’s hard to know where to begin.
The song is 50% fret-tap al-la Eruption and 50% the staccato guitar-work of On Fire, but Wolfgang Van Halen is his own man. While there is a nod to those two tracks on Van Halen’s legendary debut album, that’s as far as it goes.
“I’ve had the tapping idea on the intro for The End since before Mammoth,” Wolfgang Van Halen said. “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.”
There is some seriously funked-up bass-playing on the track, too, which catches you off guard. As for the drumming, it is frenetic, punchy and vital. It could be argued that the drumming takes centre stage on this particular track. And why not?
As for the film, this is a mad mix of the ’80s and ’90s, woven together by the genius of Robert Rodriguez and Greg Nicotero. The ’80s immediately kick in with a nod to Michael Jackson, with the written passage, “Due to my strong personal convictions, I wish to stress that this film in no way endorses a belief in the occult.” Used at the beginning of the Thriller video, is lovingly snaffled by Wolfie.
Then comes the ’90s and enter Danny Trejo, or rather, remain seated, Mr Trejo. As Wolf and the boys enter the venue where they will be performing, a rather menacing Trejo informs the band of certain “house rules” surrounding the music, urging them to play ballads. The Mammoth boys have other ideas.
Once Wolfgang Van Halen’s fret-tapping pyrotechnics start, all hell breaks loose. Literally. Just as the cast in the cult classic from Dusk ‘Til Dawn turn into bloodthirsty vampires, this audience, which features a cameo or two, go one better in this video and turn into werewolves.
Myles Kennedy gets munched on like a corn-on-the-cob, Slash is standing there watching proceedings, looking the epitome of cool. Then there’s Wolf’s mother, Valerie Bertinelli, landing more right hooks on those befanged scoundrels than Oleksandr Usyk did on Tyson Fury during their last world title fight.
Finally, we have a cameo from Wolfgang Van Halen’s wife, Andraia, and three more Wolfgang Van Halens.
The song and the video are a lot of fun. Mammoth do what they do best, make straight up-and-down hard rock music, and they do it well.
They have dropped the WVH moniker and delivered a great taster for the new album.
Go have a listen – and next time you eat corn-on-the-cob, try not to imagine you are chomping on poor old Myles.
With a short run of May dates creating excitement for a Mammoth tour, the band have also announced an autumn headline run across the USA. The End Tour kicks off on October 31st for 5 weeks. Longtime friend Myles Kennedy will be the special guest.
UK fans will be able to see Wolfgang Van Halen as part of the line-up at Black Sabbath’s special Back To The Beginning final concert on Saturday 5th July at Birmingham’s Villa Park. For more details, visit Mammoth.Band.
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Wolfgang Van Halen & The Monster Mayhem Of Star-Studded The End Video first appeared on
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