Mammoth WVH Mammoth II LP

On the heels of a whirlwind self-titled debut that included a Grammy nomination for his first-ever single, Number One debuts on multiple charts, television performances, and sold out shows over a two-year span, Mammoth WVH releases Mammoth II.

"I knew that I wanted the new album to contain elements of what people heard on the debut, but also giving me a chance to branch out a bit. 'Another Celebration at the End of the World' is definitely a song that showcases what people can expect from the new album. It is a high-energy rocker with some fun guitar moments on it. I also pushed myself vocally and it is a song I can't wait to get out and play live. I can see it being a fixture in our live set moving forward," said Wolfgang Van Halen.

Continuing the tradition of writing all of the songs and performing all of the instrumentation and vocals himself, Wolfgang Van Halen set out to challenge himself to expand his sound beyond what people had already come to know him for. From the rocking opener "Right?" to Beatles-esque fade on closer "Better Than You," Mammoth II showcases the growth of Wolfgang Van Halen as a songwriter, musician and vocalist. Songs such as "Like a Pastime," "Take a Bow" and "Waiting" are all sonically different from each other but unique to what mastermind Wolfgang Van Halen and Mammoth WVH is.

"The name Mammoth is really special to me," says Wolf. "Not only was it the name of Van Halen before it became Van Halen, but my father was also the lead singer. Ever since my dad told me this, I always thought that when I grew up, I'd call my own band Mammoth, because I loved the name so much. I'm so thankful that my father was able to listen to, and enjoy the music I made. Nothing made me happier than seeing how proud he was that I was continuing the family legacy."

These are insanely tight, bodybuilder-sculpted rock songs, and while the main man dresses each in his six-string wizardry it's all commendably contained. 'Another Celebration at the End of the World' and 'Optimist' are full of energy and applied imagination, but at no point do they or any of these 10 tracks become self-indulgent. It's the production, led by Michael 'Elvis' Baskette at Van Halen's famous 5150 studios, that makes the music sound bigger than a stampeding herd of elephants. The next thing is always slightly bigger than the last very big thing.

As far as torch-carrying goes, Van Halen does the family name proud.

WVH is not a torch, he is the biggest f***ing bonfire you have seen in a very,very long time.