Mammoth WVH: Wolfgang Van Halen steps out on his own

In November 2022 Mammoth WVH opened the Alter Bridge tour date at Wiener Stadthalle in Vienna. The band is led by Wolfgang Van Halen, and it is very much his own project. Photos are in the Mammoth WVH gallery.

A famous name

Wolfgang Van Halen is the son of Eddie Van Halen, one of the most influential guitarists in rock history. He joined his father's band, Van Halen, as bassist while still a teenager and toured with them for years. After Eddie's death in 2020, Wolfgang stepped forward with music that was entirely his own.

One man, every instrument

The debut album, Mammoth WVH, came out in 2021, and Wolfgang played every instrument on it himself: guitars, bass, drums and keyboards, as well as singing. The band name nods to Mammoth, the name Van Halen used in their earliest days, with his initials added to make it clear whose project this is.

The single "Distance", written as a tribute to his father, earned a Grammy nomination for Best Rock Song. A second album, Mammoth II, followed in 2023.

Not a tribute act

What surprises people who come expecting Van Halen songs is how different Mammoth WVH sound. The music is modern hard rock with melodic choruses, closer to the bands Wolfgang grew up listening to in the 2000s than to the 1980s. Live, he plays rhythm guitar and sings, with a full band around him.

On the road with Alter Bridge

The connection with Alter Bridge runs deep: Wolfgang played bass on tour with Mark Tremonti's solo band. Opening a European arena tour for Alter Bridge and Halestorm gave Mammoth WVH huge audiences early in their career.

See the Mammoth WVH photos, plus Alter Bridge and Halestorm from the same night.