Wolfgang Van Halen’s Mammoth WVH have signed to BMG for the release of their sophomore album, which is expected to drop this summer.
Mammoth WVH’s upcoming full-length effort will follow 2021’s self-titled debut, which yielded the No. 1 rock hits “Distance” and “Don’t Back Down.”
“The Mammoth team and I are so excited to now be a part of the BMG family,” said Wolfgang in a statement. “The entire team have welcomed us with open arms and have been nothing short of wonderful. I couldn’t ask for better partners for the future of Mammoth.”
In a a recently uploaded video interview with TellUs Rock, Wolfgang opened up about the content on the group’s upcoming record, revealing a somewhat surprising influence on a few of the tracks.
After pontificating his love of “heavier music” such as Meshuggah and Animals as Leaders, Wolfgang was asked about the inspirations for his latest batch of songs — a relevant question considering the first Mammoth album was written and recorded some time ago (from 2013 through 2018).
“On the next album, there actually is some Meshuggah-inspired songs — just through the lens of Mammoth, though,” answered Wolfgang. “So it’s not as super heavy.”
There was plenty of shredding on the first album, but namedropping Meshuggah implies some serious technicality.
That said, you won’t be hearing Wolfgang and company tearing through “Eruption” in concert anytime soon. He once again defended his decision to stick to original material and not play Van Halen covers with Mammoth.
“Not playing VH to uphold my integrity as my own artist to build my own career, and hating VH are two completely unrelated things that have no correlation in any capacity,” he tweeted over the weekend, later adding: “Either you be a Van Halen Jr. and people get pissed at you for riding coattails, or you DON’T and you’re disrespecting the legacy. It’s bonkers.”
Despite some detractors, things are looking up for Mammoth WVH. In addition to the major label signing, the band is finishing up a tour with Alter Bridge before supporting select dates on Metallica’s “M72 World Tour” throughout 2023 and 2024. Tickets for Mammoth WVH’s upcoming concerts are available here.
Check out the TellUs Rock interview with Wolfgang Van Halen and see his tweets below.
Not playing VH to uphold my integrity as my own artist to build my own career, and hating VH are two completely unrelated things that have no correlation in any capacity.
It’s like some folks are incapable of basic thought.
(Not you. Just the dummies I’m talking about) https://t.co/JHMFkWA4aU
— Wolfgang Van Halen (@WolfVanHalen) March 20, 2023
But when you’re talking about these dummies it’s just impossible to win, so why try?
Either you be a Van Halen Jr. and people get pissed at you for riding coattails, or you DON’T and you’re disrespecting the legacy. It’s bonkers.
— Wolfgang Van Halen (@WolfVanHalen) March 20, 2023