AND THE CRADLE WILL ROCK...

His father was one of the greatest guitarists that ever lived, and now Wolfgang Van Halen is carrying that famous name forward. In a revealing interview, he discusses the creation of his new album Mammoth WVH – on which he played all instruments, including Eddie’s iconic Frankenstein. He recalls what he learnt as a boy from the best player on the planet, and the fun they had performing together in Van Halen. But as he tells TG: “I THINK IT’S UNFAIR TO HOLD ME AT THE SAME LEVEL AS MY DAD. I’M JUST BEING MYSELF...”

- Jonny Scaramanga

The buzz for Wolfgang Van Halen’s solo debut began in 2015 when Eddie Van Halen told Guitar World “It’s like AC/DC meets Van Halen meets aggressive pop... It’s so powerful that I’m jealous.” The project had to wait, as Wolf fulfilled his commitments as bassist in Van Halen and Tremonti, as well as drummer for Sevendust’s Clint Lowery. But following the devastating loss of Eddie on October 6th, 2020, Wolf released the tribute single Distance. A moving video featuring childhood footage of Wolfgang with Eddie quickly racked up four million views, and the song debuted at #1 on the Billboard Rock chart.

With the album completed, Wolf has told Twitter “It’s important I forge my own path,” but that doesn’t mean distancing himself from his father. His band name and album title, Mammoth WVH, is a nod to Van Halen’s original moniker, and album opener Mr Ed features a tapping lick to make any EVH fan grin. But on the preview singles, Wolf shows his own identity, whether it’s the bruising slow groove of You’re To Blame or the stomping shuffle on Don’t Back Down.

Speaking to TG from his home in California, Wolf explains how he put the album together, and reflects on how his father’s influence has shaped him as a musician...

Congratulations on the album. How do you feel about the reaction to Mammoth WVH so far?