Wolfgang Van Halen is looking to wrap up sessions for Mammoth WVH's second album sometime next month. The guitarist spoke with Metal Talk and offered up an update on the band's sophmore release: “I’m probably about halfway through it, recorded. I got a bunch of stuff recorded before we started on this tour, and then once I go home, I have a little holiday break. But then in January, I’m going to finish it. So it’ll be ready to be released sometime next year.”
Although Mammoth WVH is a bonafide band while on the road — Van Halen explained it's a different story once in the confines of the studio: “In the studio, I do everything. Nine Inch Nails is its own thing in the studio and then live, it’s separate. I think I’ve found a comfortable way how I record albums now, so I’m having a good time doing that.”
He went on to say, “I’ve been in bands before, where it’s like a collective experience, and this is something that’s separate from that. It’s something that’s fully my own, and it’s very exciting to be able to have that sort of creative outlet.”
He added that 2023 is already looking to be a major year for Mammoth WVH: “I’m grateful to be touring in any capacity. Recently, we announced that we’re going to be opening for Metallica next year and the year after, which is really crazy. So I’m just honored to be out there and that people are willing to come to see us and from the bands have us open for them. I am very grateful for the opportunity.”
While his biggest influence was undoubtedly his legendary father — the late-Eddie Van Halen — Wolfgang told us a while back about some of the other artists who inspired him: “The first band that I actually really dug a lot was Blink-182, because I think Travis Barker is an awesome drummer and I loved how the two singers harmonized — it really got me into, like, harmonizing and drums and stuff. But the big change that got me into like heavier music was probably Tool. I liked the weird time signatures and just how heavy it got — like, Danny Carey is a huge drum influence of mine, and so is Justin Chancellor on the bass.”