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HomeRock MusicWOLFGANG VAN HALEN Reveals His 'Unhealthy Panic Assault' In 2024 Fueled Songwriting...

WOLFGANG VAN HALEN Reveals His ‘Unhealthy Panic Assault’ In 2024 Fueled Songwriting For MAMMOTH’s Third Album, ‘The Finish’


Grammy Award-nominated songwriter, vocalist, multi-instrumentalist, and producer Wolfgang Van Halen continues to separate MAMMOTH from the pack. The music stands alone on a basis anchored by his spectacular sonic proficiency (throughout drums, bass, keys, and guitar) and hermetic arena-size hooks with unforgettable vocals. He harbors an irresistible signature sound, creative imaginative and prescient, and incomparable id vaunted by a fervent international fanbase. For as distinctive because the music is, his story to this point proves to be simply as unprecedented. That is arguably the primary exhausting rock act to genuinely escape from floor zero within the 2020s, producing north of 100 million streams, toppling charts, and promoting out headline excursions lower than 5 years since its debut.

As at all times, Wolfgang pushes ahead on MAMMOTH‘s third full-length LP, “The Finish” (BMG).

“I am continuously striving to be my very own distinctive artist though my final identify naturally generates comparisons,” says Wolfgang. “I am happy with this report as a result of it represents main progress in all angles. There is a sense of development to the songwriting. I feel it is a large turning level.”

He definitely put within the work to achieve this level. Again in 2021, MAMMOTH‘s first providing, “Mammoth WVH”, took flight, bowing at No. 12 on the Billboard 200 and capturing No. 1 on three Billboard charts — High Onerous Rock Albums, High Impartial Albums, and High Rock Albums. “Distance” soared as the primary of two No. 1 rock radio hits and earned a Grammy Award nomination for “Finest Rock Music”. Two years later, “Mammoth II” solely noticed him decide up the tempo. It debuted within the High 5 of the Billboard High Album Gross sales chart along with bringing him again to No. 1 on the High Onerous Rock Albums chart. Inciting widespread applause from Rolling Stone, Guitar World, Grammy.com, Kerrang! and extra, Traditional Rock hailed it as “a solo second that betters his debut in each division,” and American Songwriter applauded, “‘II’ reveals a better illustration of what MAMMOTH is now and Van Halen‘s dynamism as a musician and as a author.” The band canvased the globe with METALLICA, supported FOO FIGHTERS in North America, supported CREED on their record-breaking tour in addition to filling homes on their very own. They carried out on NBC‘s “As we speak”, ABC‘s “Jimmy Kimmel Stay!” and on the 2024 MusiCares “Individual Of The Yr” profit gala in honor of Jon Bon Jovi. To not point out, Wolfgang shared the stage with Ryan Gosling, Mark Ronson and Slash on the 2024 Academy Awards performing “I am Simply Ken” from the blockbuster “Barbie” film. He additionally joined Maynard James Keenan (TOOL, A PERFECT CIRCLE),Chad Smith (RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS),Robert Trujillo (METALLICA) and producer Andrew Watt for the Rock And Roll Corridor Of Fame induction of Ozzy Osbourne that very same 12 months.

All through late 2024, Wolfgang constructed the framework for “The Finish”. Slightly than compose demos on his pc, he took a distinct strategy. Recording at 5150 Studios with longtime producer Michael “Elvis” Baskette, he demoed components by really performing them within the second and actually working backwards and forwards between devices.

“Up to now, I’d use Logic Professional to sit down there and kind out a drum half with MIDI drums after which play guitar to it,” he recollects. “This time, I used to be in a position to play guitar within the second, run out, and play drums. It was far more enjoyable to sit down on the equipment and carry out what naturally got here to me. Doing these components again to again in actual time was a recreation changer. We have been making demos stay, which I’ve by no means finished. It was so essential to this report.”

As such, the music teems with an simple sense of urgency. You possibly can hear it loud and clear on lead single “The Finish”. Frenetic two-hand tapping lights the fuse for the observe as an equally unpredictable bassline solutions in form. Surrounded by sonic fireworks, he points an apocalyptically wonderful invitation on the chorus, “Take your hand in mine and watch the top with me,” culminating on one final head-spinning solo.

“I’ve had the tapping thought on the intro since earlier than MAMMOTH,” he divulges. “I used to be in a position to match it into this world. It is nonetheless over-the-top and shreddy, however it’s additionally melodic and managed. General, I used to be doing a little various things on the report, and I knew this was going to be a giant step. As soon as we completed ‘The Finish’, it felt actually particular to me. I knew it needed to be the title of the album. It has duality. It may be a very good factor or a foul factor — the top of fine instances or the top of dangerous instances.”

It additionally set the tone for a free thematic thread throughout the report. He goes on, “Writing is a therapeutic expertise, and it helps me cope with many issues emotionally. I had a foul panic assault that fucked me up final 12 months. So, ‘The Finish’ represents the way it feels just like the world is over in my mind throughout any second of trial or tribulation. Even when it looks like the top, there’s at all times a strategy to get by it and a light-weight on the finish of the tunnel. It is not an idea album, however all the matters are intently associated.”

Elsewhere, a palm-muted groove units “The Spell” in movement. The incisive riff ping-pongs throughout an off-kilter drumbeat. Within the eye of the storm, he assures, “No matter spell your underneath, bleeding your marvel, we are able to work this out.”

‘The Spell’ lent itself to extra of a woozy seventies rock vibe, and I acquired comfy with vocal runs I would not have finished earlier than,” he states. “It is a good-feeling track. In the event you aren’t hip to musical technicality, you possibly can take pleasure in it. In the event you’re tremendous into cool riffs and drum fills, these are there too. My M.O. in MAMMOTH is to have enjoyable musically, however by no means let it get in the way in which of the track.”

Then, there’s the swaggering stomp of “Similar Outdated Music”. In between blinking piano keys, overdriven chords underline an unshakable chant, “Why’d it’s a must to be the identical? I feel you misplaced your self alongside the way in which. You sit and sing the identical outdated track like everybody.”

“It is acquired the basic MAMMOTH fuzzy guitar,” he says. “It is nearly just like the sequel to ‘Do not Again Down’. It is the identical type of ‘Do not fuck with me’ area track, however it seems like an evolution. In the event you like MAMMOTH already, you are going to dig it. Nevertheless, it is rhythmically fast and swaggy, which I would not usually do. You do not develop with out difficult your self.”

“Egocentric” goes proper for the jugular. Its breakneck drum roll collides right into a walloping punch of distortion delivered with the power of an off-the-rails freight prepare. In the meantime, he warns, “Due to your selfishness, all the things you reside for, all the things you like will all be gone.”

“It is one of many heavier songs we have finished,” he notes. “It is tremendous aggressive. The tempo actually ramps up simply earlier than this final exhale.”

Increasing the world of MAMMOTH, a bit of artwork by Moon Patrol adorns the quilt, depicting a person on hearth. Plus, Wolfgang co-wrote the music video for “The Finish” with none apart from legendary filmmaker Robert Rodriguez (“Desperado”, “Sin Metropolis”, “Spy Children”) who acquired behind the digicam for the visible. Collectively, they throw it again to Rodriguez‘s cult favourite Quentin Tarantino collab “From Nightfall Until Daybreak”. Greg Nicotero (“The Strolling Useless”) offered the make-up in addition to cameos by Danny Trejo, Slash, Myles Kennedy and his mom, Valerie Bertinelli. It is Wolfgang such as you’ve by no means seen him.

“The Finish” additionally sees Wolfgang embrace the identify “MAMMOTH” with out the preliminary “WVH” that beforehand adopted.

“I’ve needed to be simply ‘MAMMOTH‘ because the starting,” he says. “We put in a loopy quantity of labor to get right here, and we have been in a position to embrace this identify. It is also our first titled album and not using a quantity. It seems like a rebirth.”

In the end, MAMMOTH will at all times stand alone.

“That is all the things to me,” he leaves off. “It is much more particular and essential that folks world wide have discovered which means in it and derived enjoyment from listening to it and coming to reveals. I might be doing this regardless. It brings my life function and happiness. It helps me course of feelings and life. When it reaches another person, it is essentially the most wonderful feeling. That is my important precedence. It is all I need to do.”

Picture by Travis Shinn



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