Wolfgang Van Halen Announces Mammoth WVH Debut Album
Former Van Halen bassist Wolfgang Van Halen will release his solo debut, Mammoth WVH, on June 11.
You can see the track listing and full Mammoth WVH cover art below.
The album will be available in a variety of formats from Mammoth WVH's website. Fans who pre-order it will get instant downloads of the debut single "Distance," which came out last year, and the newly released "You're to Blame."
Even though the album was recorded solo, Van Halen assembled a band for Mammoth WVH. They will make their debut tonight on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, and on Friday, Feb. 19 they'll perform an acoustic version of "Distance" on Today.
In November, five weeks after his father Eddie Van Halen's death, Wolfgang released "Distance." The track was written during his father's long cancer battle. "While this song is incredibly personal," Wolfgang said. "I think anyone can relate to the idea of having a profound loss in their own life."
He added that he "never anticipated 'Distance' would be the first song of mine that people would hear, but I also thought my father would be here to celebrate its release along with me." Originally not intended for the album, "Distance" will now be included as a bonus track on Mammoth WVH.
Wolfgang Van Halen, who became Van Halen's bassist as a teenager in 2006, played all the instruments on the upcoming album, but named the project Mammoth WVH after the band name used by the trio Eddie and Alex Van Halen were in before David Lee Roth and Michael Anthony joined them for Van Halen.
"Growing up, my dad would tell me the story that [Van Halen was once] called Mammoth," he said. "And I just thought that it was so cool that, one, Dad was singing. And two, it was an awesome band name. So, growing up I was like, 'Whenever I have my own band, I want to call it Mammoth.'"
Van Halen first said he was working on a solo project in 2015, when his father revealed the news during an interview. Three years later, producer Michael "Elvis" Baskette said the record was complete; Van Halen's deal with EX1 Records was announced in February 2020. He had planned to release the album last year, but Wolfgang said the inability to tour behind the record due to the coronavirus pandemic put its release on hold.
'Mammoth WVH' Track Listing
1. "Mr. Ed"
2. "Horribly Right"
3. "Epiphany"
4. "Don't Back Down"
5. "Resolve"
6. "You'll Be the One"
7. "Mammoth"
8. "Circles"
9. "The Big Picture"
10. "Think It Over"
11. "You're to Blame"
12. "Feel"
13. "Stone"
14. "Distance" (Bonus Track)