Rock Bands You Should Know #4: Mammoth WVH

 Mammoth WVH is a relatively new band formed by Eddie Van Halen's son Wolfgang. I was fortunate to see them live in concert at First Avenue in downtown Minneapolis last month. They're a fun live band that's well worth seeing whenever they're in your area.

Wolfgang started the band while he was still the bassist for Van Halen. He started recording his debut album in 2015 at 5150 Studios. Wolfie has thus far written, recorded, sung and performed all of the instruments on Mammoth's albums. He was also the bass guitarist for Alter Bridge/Creed lead guitarist Mark Tremonti's solo band Tremonti until being replaced by Tanner Keegan on bass and played drums on Sevendust lead guitarist's 2020 solo release God Bless The Renegades.

The first Mammoth WVH single, "Distance," was an emotional tribute to Eddie Van Halen, who passed away in December 2020 after enduring a bout with throat cancer. It was one of several songs included on their debut album, which was released in June 2021. Wolfgang revealed in interviews that he wanted to use the name Mammoth as part of his band name, as it was a moniker that his father's band initially used early on. Eddie gave his son approval to use the name as well.

Wolfgang is joined on tour by his former Tremonti bandmate Garrett Whitlock on drums, bassist Ronnie Ficarro, and guitarists Jon Jourdan and Frank Sidoris. Their second album, Mammoth II, was released in August 2023. Mammoth WVH has been on the road recently as a headliner (with Alice Cooper guitarist Nita Strauss and her solo band as the opening act) and supporting Metallica during their stadium tour. 

I was impressed by Wolfie's talent and on-stage presence during last month's show. He's clearly learned from some of the best. His music videos also have a good tongue-in-cheek sense of humor, much like many of the Foo Fighters videos that I've seen over the years. One of these days, I'll have to spring for the VIP meet and greet. It'd be interesting to pick his brain about music and his experiences. I strongly recommend picking up their albums and catching a show or two. 

Well, that's all for now. Until next time, have a great week, everyone!