Wolfgang Van Halen On New Mammoth WVH Music: “I’ve Almost Finished It”
Former Van Halen bassist Wolfgang Van Halen has shared an update about his upcoming new album. He said he is “almost finished” with the new album.
Wolfgang Van Halen is a rock bassist best known for being the son of the late Van Halen guitarist Eddie Van Halen. He grew up surrounded by music and started playing the drums at an early age before switching to bass guitar. In 2006, he joined his father’s band Van Halen as the bassist, replacing original member Michael Anthony. Wolfgang played with the band until their final tour in 2015.
Prior to Van Halen‘s disbandment, Wolfgang Van Halen embarked on a solo career and formed Mammoth WVH. In 2021, Wolfgang released his debut solo album, Mammoth WVH, under the name Mammoth WVH band. In the album, Wolfgang appeared as the lead vocalist, guitarist, and bassist and recorded all parts himself. The album received critical acclaim for its blend of hard rock and heavy metal.
In his recent interview with Total Guitar, Wolfgang opened up about his upcoming second LP that would be a follow-up to his debut, Mammoth WVH. When the interviewer mentioned Wolfgang‘s playing whole instruments on the album, the musician said that’s his artistic expression.
“Yeah, I’ve almost finished it,” Wolfgang admits. “Some people try to turn me playing everything into a negative thing, which surprises me! It’s like they think I won’t let other people play on it or something like that. But really this is what Mammoth is and always has been – it’s my artistic expression.
“I’ve been in bands before where you collaborate and that’s not what this is. I have a live band but in the studio I do everything and have a fun time doing it. I enjoy being able to express myself musically in every avenue.”
Over the years, Wolfgang has contributed to several musicians, including Clint Lowery, Slash, Tremonti, and the rock band Black Stone Cherry. Moreover, he joined Guns N’ Roses on stage to play the band’s classic album, Paradise City. However, he says there is no offensive opinion on playing all instruments himself.
“I’ve been in bands before where you collaborate and that’s not what this is,” he reveals. “I have a live band but in the studio I do everything and have a fun time doing it. I enjoy being able to express myself musically in every avenue.”
Continuing to give details about his as-yet-untitled upcoming second album, Wolfgang admitted that the album would be an album in that Wolfgang challenged himself more.
“It will always sound a bit similar, I guess, because the same dude is writing it,” he comments. “But I think on this current material, you can hear me challenging myself a bit more. I’ve gotten more confident, and I know what the project is now, rather than trying to figure out what it was from the start, like on the first one.”
