Wolfgang Van Halen has revealed that he has “tons of ideas” for his next album in a new interview with Audio Ink Radio.
The son of the late Eddie Van Halen took the rock world by storm with the self-titled debut album from his Mammoth WVH project. Collecting songs written and performed entirely by Wolfgang, the LP has been an overwhelming success, bolstered by the chart-topping single “Distance.” It appears the next record is already in the making.
“This is what I plan on doing,” Wolfgang said of his Mammoth WVH project. “Tons of ideas hit the cutting room floor that I’d like to return to, that I’m sure will show up on the next few albums. I’ve already written so many ideas in the past year on lockdown that I’m itching to get back in the studio.”
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The success of the Mammoth WVH debut even notched the band a major support slot on Guns N’ Roses upcoming US trek. Not bad for a first tour. The Smashing Pumpkins were originally slated to open for GN’R prior to postponements, if that’s any indication of how far Wolfgang has come in such a short time.
“It’s insane,” Wolfgang said. “Like, I can’t believe — it’s the highest honor that they thought of us and want to take us out. I can’t believe it. I mean, I was excited, in general, just to go on tour, but to take part in this, it’s a whole other thing. I’m blown away… I still can’t believe it.”
Inevitably, Wolfgang’s musical exploits might be compared to those his father’s, their respective bands having both turned in prestigious self-titled debuts. After mentioning that his favorite Mammoth track is the album’s closer “Stone,” he opened up about his favorite Van Halen albums, breaking it down in the David Lee Roth and Sammy Hagar eras.
“I think that the closest I can narrow it for that question is in the Roth era, Fair Warning and 1984 are the albums that I lean to, and in the Hagar era, For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge and Balance are the albums that I lean towards,” Wolfgang said. “Not that I don’t like the others, because they’re all amazing in their own ways, but that’s about as tightly as I can close it for you.”
The Guns N’ Roses-Mammoth WVH tour made our recent list of the Top 25 Essential Hard Rock & Metal Tours this summer/fall. Get tickets to those dates via Ticketmaster and StubHub.
Listen to Wolfgang Van Halen’s complete interview with Audio Ink Radio below.
