Mammoth WVH (later retitled to Mammoth) is the debut studio album by American rock band Mammoth. The album was released on June 11, 2021, by EX1 Records, with distribution from Cleopatra Records.
Background The album's origins can be traced back to 2013 after Wolfgang Van Halen finished the A Different Kind of Truth Tour with Van Halen and began working on his own music. The album was completed in 2018.
For the opening track, "Mr. Ed", Wolfgang used the original Electro-Harmonix Micro-Synthesizer that his father, Eddie Van Halen, used for the 1981 Van Halen track "Sunday Afternoon in the Park".
Wolfgang used his father's original Frankenstrat guitar for the solos on "Mammoth" and "Feel".
The album cover features a painting by American painter John Brosio of a giant crab terrorizing a parking lot. When asked about the significance of the crab, Wolfgang Van Halen responded on Twitter with a screenshot of the synonyms of the word "mammoth", further stating that "We all know it takes being a Van Halen to understand that the word mammoth means 'big.'"
Critical reception
Mammoth WVH received generally positive reviews from critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from critics, the album received an average score of 79, which indicates "generally favorable reviews", based on four reviews.
It was elected by Loudwire as the 28th best rock/metal album of 2021. In 2021, the single "Distance" was nominated for Best Rock Song for the 64th Grammy Awards.
Track listing
Personnel Credits for Mammoth WVH adapted from liner notes.
Mammoth Wolfgang Van Halen – lead & backing vocals, lead & rhythm guitars, keyboards, piano, bass guitar, drums, percussion
Production Michael Baskette – production, mixing Josh Saldate – engineering Jef Moll – engineering, editing Brad Blackwood – mastering John Brosio – artwork Chuck Brueckmann – art direction, design Travis Shinn – photography
Charts
Weekly charts + Weekly chart performance for Mammoth WVH Chart (2021) Peakposition Canadian Albums (Billboard) 53 US Billboard 200 12 US Independent Albums (Billboard) 1 US Top Hard Rock Albums (Billboard) 1 US Top Rock Albums (Billboard) 1
Year-end charts + Year-end chart performance for Mammoth WVH Chart (2021) Position US Top Rock Albums (Billboard) 86
Singles Title Peak chart positions US Main. "Distance" 1 "Don't Back Down" 1 "Epiphany" 9
References
External links