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Mammoth WVH – Mammoth II

Florian Buechting Media Review No Comments

Mammoth WVH - Mammoth II

Mammoth WVH - Mammoth II
4.4

Rating

 4.4/5

Flyctory.com Pros

  • Great range of rock songs
  • Very fluent listen
  • All instruments played by one artist

Flyctory.com Cons

  • Few weaker vocal parts

You might not know the the rock / hard rock project Mammoth WVH yet. However, once you know that WVH stands for “Wolfgang Van Halen”, you might already guess that this one might be something really big. The album Mammoth II is the second time that Wolfgang William Van Halen, son of legendary Eddie, is releasing an album with his solo project. Release date is 4th August 2023. I just had to have a listen.

 

Mammoth WVH – About The Project

Wolfgang Van Halen was born on 16th March 1991 in Santa Monica, California, USA. He had his initial stage appearances as a bassist with Van Halen, when he played the instrumental song 316 together with his father. The song was originally written by Eddie short before Wolfgang’s birth. At the age of 15, Wolfgang Van Halen replaced Michael Anthony as the bassist of the band. Since the mid-2010’s, Wolfgang Van Halen worked on solo songs as well, but interrupted the work due to the cancer diagnosis of his father. Thus, the debut album Mammoth MVH has just been released in 2021. The biggest success on that record was likely Distance, which had a Grammy Award nomination for the Best Rock Song.

The band name “Mammoth MVH” is by the way a homage on the band Van Halen. From 1972 to 1974, the legendary hard rock band still worked under this band name.

 

Mammoth WVH – Mammoth II – Track by Track

The ten song album lasts 48 minutes.

1. Right?

Powerful rock, a lot of riffs, a touch of Seattle sound. Right? is not an opener with a bang, but having a really nice rock sound. Wolfgang Van Halen is playing all instruments by himself and also does the vocal part. Very cost effective, but of course that leads to stronger and weaker parts. Like in other songs of the album as well, I feel that here it is especially the vocal part.

2. Like a Pastime

Like A Pastime is a straight classic rocker. The song could have been recorded in the 1980’s as well. Again, I would love the vocal side to sound a bit more accentuated, a but harder, dirtier. This would definitely make the song (even) better.

3. Another Celebration at the End of the World

The third song is indeed one of the best songs of the album. Mammoth MVH presents a powerful rocker with a lot of speed, hammering drums. Despite being a 4:36 minute song, the track feels very compact. Very nice listen.

4. Miles Above Me

One key feature of Mammoth II is that it is really hard to name a style of the record. Every song sounds different. Miles Above Me is a hard rock anthem with some mainstream radio potential, as it comes with pop-alike, a bit of cheesy elements as well.

5. Take a Bow

The next song on the album is the almost seven minute epic Take a Bow. A good plot, a good chorus, great work on the guitar – the album got another highlight right in the middle of it.

6. Optimist

Optimist is opening with a rather dark mood. The song does fall back to that here and there, but overall feels like gaining more and more rock energy the longer it lasts. The arrangement as such is very catching and fascinating, driven by a great work on the guitar side.

7. I’m Alright

The seventh song is one of my favorites. It is a straight rocker, which cannot deny a nostalgic touch. You quickly get into it and enjoy the sound of Van Halen… Wolfgang, not Eddie.

8. Erase Me

Erase Me is very melodic, which feels to be a nice element in the context of the album. The song is driven by a catching chorus. Again, the composition combined with the musical talent, especially on the instrumental side, leads to a great rock experience.

9. Waiting

Every rock album needs to have a rock ballad. Mammoth II has Waiting. Not a bad one, but if there is rock discipline where Wolfgang Van Halen has some potential to improve, it’s the romantic part.

10. Better Than You

The album closes with another epic track. The song is roughly 6:30 minutes, presenting some cool riffing and nice melody. A good showcase of Wolfgang Van Halen’s skills at the end of the album.

 

Mammoth WVH – Mammoth II – Spotify

You can listen to the album on Spotify:

 

Mammoth WVH – Mammoth II – My View

Mammoth II is a great showcase of the high level of musical talent by the Van Halen family and Wolfgang Van Halen especially. What a burden it must be to release rock music as the son of a music legend – but Wolfgang masters this in practically all disciplines well. Nonetheless, upgrading Mammoth MVH with some external skills, e.g. on the vocal side, would maybe have boosted the album to an even higher level.

Favorite Song: Take a Bow

 

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