Mammoth WVH

Wolfgang grew up surrounded by music and managed to master multiple instruments at a highly skilled level. All guitar, bass and drum parts on his band’s albums are done by him, just like all of the vocals. The music of Mammoth WVH does not sound like that of Van Halen, however. While father Eddie excelled at writing hard rocking stadium anthems and impressive arpeggios, son Wolfgang focuses on modern American rock with more than a few elements from metal, which sounds larger than life due to specific production techniques. Wolfgang does not want to be a clone of his father, which is laudable. Expect terrific drums and tight guitar riffs with melodious vocals. Both albums were met with positive reviews; the band plays for crowded venues for a reason.

The name Van Halen obviously opens a lot of doors, especially if you’re the son-of. Wolfgang managed to share stages with big rock bands like Metallica and Guns n’ Roses for example, both of which have played in Nijmegen before. Van Halen was here only once however, back in 1985. After almost 30 years, finally we have someone of the Van Halen family perform on a stage in Nijmegen.

“The name Mammoth is very special to me”, Wolf explains. “Not only was it the name of the band Van Halen before it was renamed, but my dad was in fact the lead singer of that band.” Wolfgang Van Halen is ready to showcase his own songs on stage and continue the fine family tradition.

Photo: Javier Bragado.