Just days after I saw them open for Alter Bridge and Sevendust at The Stone Pony in Asbury Park, New Jersey, Mammoth WVH released their follow-up to their self-titled debut record on Friday, Aug. 4.
The band’s follow-up titled “Mammoth II” has a run time of 48 minutes and features 10 different songs on the record.
The very first song off the record is “Right?” This song has the classic sound that has followed Mammoth WVH since their debut record. The drums have that heavy beat backed up by the base drum.
I for one thought that this was a pretty good song to start off the record with. I liked the chorus a lot and liked the overall sound of this song. To me, the drums were in the forefront and added a heaviness to this song which was really enjoyable.
The second song, “Like a Pastime” was a bit faster than the song before it. This song was played live when I saw them just days before the release of this record. I like when bands start to throw in new songs off an upcoming record days before the record is slated to be released.
One of my favorite parts of “Like a Pastime” is the little breakdown section around the 2:50-second mark right before lead singer, Wolfgang Van Halen blasts into the chorus right before the song ends.
Before we move on, I should mention that the touring band that you see at Mammoth WVH shows is not the same band that plays in the studio. In the studio, it’s just a one-man band that has Van Halen playing every single instrument heard on the record. Whether it’s drums, bass guitar, or vocals, Van Halen can be seen playing it which is downright awesome.
Track three, which is the lead single from the record “Another Celebration at the End of the World,” is my favorite song off the record and it’s not even close in that debate.
The vocals are extremely powerful and the drums deliver a driving force for the rest of the song that this track becomes the best song to drive around and listen to.
There is so much to love on this song, the solo around the three-minute mark has shades of some of the best shredders known to the rock world like Randy Rhodes or Steve Vai, and shows signs of Van Halen’s father, the late Eddie Van Halen that essentially invented that style of guitar playing.
In the middle of the record there are some good songs like “Miles Above Me,” “Optimist,” and “Take a Bow,” the latter of which runs for about six minutes and has a piano in the mix to add another element of sound.
Track seven is “I’m Alright.” At The Stone Pony show on Wednesday, Aug 2. Van Halen announced that they were going to debut this song live for the New Jersey crowd.
What I really liked about this song was that while it was a little heavy in the drum department, I liked how it was lighter in tone but still kept its hard rock, head-banging roots. Overall, it’s a really good song.
Track eight, “Erase Me” is classic to the Mammoth WVH name. The sound is what every hard rock fan looks for in music. What can only assumably be about a former partner of Van Halen’s, the lyrics are strong and emotional. Even if the lyrics weren’t written about one of Van Halen’s partners, the lyrics are still strong.
I also loved the tone of the solo on this song. The vibe of the short solo is more than enough for this song and the range of the guitar is in the upper half and overall enhances the song.
Track nine, “Waiting” is a mellow song for Mammoth WVH, and its very refreshing to hear a song that’s a little out of their normal. I personally like to hear a softer, ballad-like song on records, I think it only shows how versatile a band is.
The final song, “Better Than You,” is another six-minute hard rock song. The vocals on the chorus’ are mixed perfectly thanks to producer Michael “Elvis” Baskett.
If you don’t think that you are familiar with Baskett you probably are and don’t even realize it. Baskett has produced records for bands like Alter Bridge (where he has produced every single one of their records except their debut), Myles Kennedy and Mark Tremonti’s solo material, Slash featuring Myles Kennedy and The Conspirators (Living the Dream & World on Fire), and Ratt (Infestation). That’s just the tip of the iceberg though.
I think overall this is a really strong record and is consistent in having the same genre throughout the record and it doesn’t go off in different directions which I enjoy. I find it even more impressive that Van Halen has two records under his belt where he plays every single instrument.
With two records in the band’s catalog, the sky is still the limit for this band and they can only go up from here. With just how strong this record is, I am already excited to hear what is installed in the future for them.
Let’s now take a look at The Singer’s Thoughts:
- I really liked this record and there are very few, if any real negative comments I have.
- I would love to hear a live record next. The band has about 30 songs in their arsenal and a full live record would be awesome.
- It would not surprise me one bit if next year, Mammoth WVH was playing some of the same venues that they have played, like The Stone Pony but as headliners drawing a massive audience. They are seriously growing in popularity.
Overall Grade: 7.5/10
