Eddie Van Halen’s and Valerie Bertinelli’s son releases his first personal album, and it is a nice summer surprise. Wolfgang, who was named after Mozart, calls his project Mammoth, after Van Halen’s short-lived name, before they officially became… Van Halen. I will not even try to approach the psychology behind a sentimentally charged release, a few months after Eddie’s death, or the pressure that one feels when ‘carrying’ such an emblematic last name. One thing is for certain; after playing bass in VH and a few collaborations here and there (Mark Tremonti, Clint Lowery), this is the first thing that is 100% Wolfgang’s.
On ‘Mammoth’, Wolfgang Van Halen sings, he wrote all the tracks, all the lyrics, and played all the instruments, proving that, well, DNA plays a certain part in our lives. The important thing is though, that he signs a collection of beautiful compositions, nothing innovative, but all well-worked tunes. It definitely does not sound like Van Halen, more like 00s alternative rock bands (I thought of Feeder for some reason). Regardless of the rock ‘tribe’ you belong to, it is worth giving a listen to songs such as ‘Resolve’, ‘Circles’ and ‘Stone’. Spontaneously comparing ‘Mammoth’ with recent big rock releases, I, for example, do believe it easily tops the latest Foo Fighters record.
