On 24 October 2025, Mammoth – the hard rock project led by Wolfgang Van Halen – will be releasing album number three, titled The End.
Early singles like the album’s title track, The Spell and I Really Wanna are the catchiest songs the singer/guitarist has ever written.
He’s been releasing an album every two years, starting with the 2021 debut Mammoth WVH, but there’s something about this third full-length that exudes a newfound sense of confidence.
“This record was more about finding a sense of balance,” Wolfgang tells MusicRadar, while giving us a look at his latest EVH signatures in Fender’s London showroom.
“On the second album [Mammoth II], I was so stoked to get back in the studio, I guess I was more confident and able to play more solos. Now I’m comfortably in that space, this album was more about relaxing a bit and finding more confidence in the songs, instead of trying to prove myself.”
As a singer, as a songwriter and – of course – as a guitarist, you could say there’s not much left for Wolfgang to prove at this point.
“I’ve done all that already,” he smiles, “so this is the point where I get to have fun!”
You can hear just how much fun he’s having on this latest release.
Other standout tracks include meaty dropped D stomper Same Old Song, the Alice In Chains-influenced ballad Happy and arena anthem in-the-making Something New.
So how and when do these ideas come to him – and what could other guitarists be doing to get the most out of their writing sessions?
“The riffs and ideas can arrive at any time, really,” Wolfgang says . “You just have to be ready to get it down, which is why my list of voice memos is in the thousands. I have a button on my iPhone that goes straight to voice recording because the ideas can come fast.”
He continues: “I might hum them in, but if I’m lucky enough to have a guitar nearby, I will pick that up and the same goes for drum beat ideas. You always say ‘I’ll remember it’ and then you forget within two minutes!”
The most important thing to remember, he notes, is to follow your heart and trust your ears. After all, if you don’t love your music, how could anyone else?
“At the end of the day, I make this music for myself, it’s what I want to hear,” he says. “I think any good artist should be doing that and staying true to themselves rather than trying to please others.”
Too much second-guessing during the creative process can distract and dilute the end results. It sounds like a cliché, but sometimes it’s just best to let the music write itself.
“I don’t attack music from a perspective where it needs to be this or that or go anywhere,” Wolfgang adds. “It’s a natural thing. I follow the creative itch and enjoy seeing where it takes me. I would say it’s really just a matter of playing and playing some more.”
His favourite part of the recording process usually comes at the end, when he’s adding the icing on the cake. By that point, the hard work is done, he’s just running riot in the studio and making these songs sound as big as they possibly could be. Mission accomplished, then.
“I love melodies and harmonies,” he says. “Those are often my favourite parts when recording. The lead vocals will be done and then I have to find the right harmonies in each place and decide on which way to go with it.”
