Wolfgang Van Halen is more than serious about his band Mammoth. Four years after the celebrated debut and two years after Mammoth II The son and former bandmate of guitar legend Eddie Van Halen is now releasing his third album the end – this time consistently without the abbreviation WVH in the band name. The multi-instrumentalist, who joined Van Halen as a bassist at the age of 15 and later toured with Tremonti, also recorded this Mammoth album almost single-handedly. The record was once again produced with Michael “Elvis” Baskette.
ROLLING STONE asked Wolfgang van Halen for an interview and spoke to him about the new album, guitars and his love for the Swedish extreme metallers Meshuggah.
Wolfgang, your Mammoth project seems to be going like clockwork. Now album number three is in the starting blocks. Can you walk me through the recording process and tell me how it came about?
I think with every album something different happens that starts the process. This time the pre-production was a little different. I usually do everything on my laptop and put together demos like that. But this time the studio was ready early enough so I could do everything there. My engineer set a tempo, I played guitar, then ran out to record drums and then back to record bass – as live as one person can get. This allowed me to take more risks and you could tell straight away whether an idea was good or not – instead of spending four hours working on a demo and going around in circles. Songs like “One of a Kind”, “I Really Want To” or even the title song would not have become what they are now without this process.
How long did the recordings take in total?
Maybe three months in total. We usually divide it into two halves: First we meet, choose about ten to fifteen songs and record the rhythm tracks – i.e. drums, bass and guitars. Then I take a break of a week or two where I write vocal melodies and lyrics. Then it’s back into the studio for about a month or a half to record solos and vocals. So a total of two to three and a half months.
You produced again with Michael “Elvis” Baskette. What role does it play in your work?
He is everything. When people see me alone in the studio, they think I’m not working with anyone. But Elvis is basically the other half of the band in the studio. He stops me from doubting myself, steers me in the right direction and makes sure everything is as it should be. He is just wonderful to work with, as is his team – Jeff Moll as engineer and Josh, Elvis’ assistant. If you put the four of us in a studio, a Mammoth album would probably come out in three months.
Wolfgang Van Halen in an interview: “I gratefully accept every little success”
Her career with Mammoth quickly skyrocketed – albums, tours, success. Do you have a master plan for your career or do you just take it step by step?
I accept every small success with gratitude, but you always look forward. We constantly ask ourselves: How can we challenge ourselves? How can we reach more people? We just like to play – no matter where. We played in front of Metallica, but also in a club in front of 300 people in Frankfurt. We play wherever people want to hear us, festivals, everything. I don’t know if there’s a plan – we just love what we do.
You worked with director Robert Rodriguez for the new video. Tell us about it.
That was crazy. We met a few years ago, he came to a show, we exchanged numbers. His whole family was there, great people. I always thought it would be cool if he made a video, but I didn’t want to ask him. Then I visited him and played him early demos that he liked – that gave me courage. When “The End” was confirmed as a single, I asked him: “You can say no, but would you like to make a video?” I wanted something in the style of From Dusk Till Dawn. He thought the idea was great, came over a few days later and had written a ten-page script! Then he called Greg Nicotero and Danny Trejo, and I got everyone on the phone too – and we shot for two days, twelve hours each. He said we packed four days of filming into two. It was tiring, but simply fantastic.
Do you like music videos in general?
Yes. I put 100% energy into every aspect of the band – from sequencing to artwork, lyrics, videos, to the live setlist. I want everything to be as good as possible. So yeah, I love that.
What guitars did you use on the new album?
90% the SA-126, which we developed together with the brand. On Mammoth II it was the Tobacco Burst model, one of the first prototypes. Now it was a gold, aged custom shop version from Nashville – the backbone of the album, combined with the 50-watt 5150 III 6L6 amp. Every now and then I unpack something special – e.g. E.g. my father’s Frankenstein guitar at the beginning of “The End”. I like to use a few of his guitars to keep him part of the story. The palm-muted intro of “Selfish” also comes from the “Shark” guitar from the Women and Children First cover. We took them out again on one of the last recording days.
What amps did you use?
The 5150 III 6L6 – extremely versatile. Combined with the SA-126, this is exactly the sound I want, live and in the studio. We vary more with pedals. Elvis often says, “Let’s try this, let’s try that.” The Fox Tone Fuzz is important – it gives that thick, fuzzy Queens of the Stone Age sound. It’s now firmly embedded in our sound.
Where do you see the strengths of the EVH guitar brand?
The strength lies in the fact that there is something for every type of player. Not just for one target group. We also do stop-tail models now because not everyone wants a Floyd Rose. But the Floyd remains the core of the brand – part of my father’s legacy. We respect that, but expand the family. I’m super proud of what the SA-126 has achieved as a semi-hollow. We also continue to work on ideas that my father had planned. Matt Bruck – who founded the company with Dad – runs everything, I am creative and involved in decisions. It’s going great.
Are you actually a real gearhead?
I used to be. But since I’ve been playing the SA-126, it’s almost killed my interest in gear because it’s perfect. Every now and then I buy things that are completely out of my comfort zone – recently a seven-string, maybe soon an eight-string to learn Meshuggah. But for Mammoth, the SA-126 is simply the guitar.
Meshuggah are a big influence for you, right?
Absolutely. I only discovered them with “Bleed” – 2008 or 2009, when obZen came out. I immediately thought it was crazy. Then I heard back: Nothing, Chaosphere. At the beginning I didn’t like the growls that much, I was more into bands like Killswitch Engage, where they still sang. But over time I learned to love it. Meshuggah and Gojira are huge influences. I think Meshuggah are gods – pioneers. And funnily enough, their music calms me down. I can fall asleep to Meshuggah.
Could you imagine building an eight-string with EVH one day?
That would be crazy. If I ever write something on an eight-string that fits Mammoth, then maybe – or at least a baritone version. Would definitely be a fun project.
The purists would definitely find this exciting.
There will always be someone who is angry no matter what you do.
Would you say that people you know from Van Halen are partly overcritical and partly overprotective?
Yes, both. Some love me unconditionally for that reason, others hate me for that very reason. I just want people to judge me regardless. That’s why I’m glad that the band abbreviation WVH is out of the name. I love it when people hear Mammoth and only later realize that it’s all me. This organic discovery is important to me – many people have already formed their opinion of me before they have even heard me.
What’s next?
The album comes out on October 24th, so it’s time to tour until we record again. We’re starting a headline tour in the US with Myles Kennedy, then festivals, and we really want to go to Europe – headlining this time. So far we have only been there selectively. It’s about time.