The son's going to rise

Wolfgang Van Halen

The king is dead, long live the king. That phrase can loosely apply to Wolfgang Van Halen, who's ready to take over the mantle from his late father, Eddie Van Halen, one of the greatest guitarists the world has ever seen. Van Halen's started a project called Mammoth WVH and is readying his debut album slated for next year. But before that, he's released a single called Distance, a poignant tribute to his dad.

Eddie Van Halen sharing a light moment with Wolfgang

The music has a heavy rock sound that's punctuated with drum rolls and jangling guitar riffs, while the lyrics are a translation of what it means for a son to lose a person he dearly loved. This is straight-up, old-school rock 'n' roll, meaning that the apple hasn't fallen far from the tree. Here, Van Halen opens up about his band and shares fond memories of his father. Edited excerpts from an interview.

Tell us a bit about the plans you have with Mammoth WVH as a project.
When it comes to creating, writing and performing the music in the studio, it is all me. [While playing] live, I have a band ready to go. I think it is just a matter of time for us to be touring and once we are all healthy and ready to go, we will be out there. Moving forward, I plan for this to be viewed just like any other band.

How much would you say has your father's music informed the sound of Mammoth WVH?
I am sure there are plenty of ways that it has without my knowledge, but it was never an intentional thing. I think it is just a part of me to a certain extent.

What feelings and emotions did you experience while writing and composing Distance?
It was tough and an emotional experience for sure, because it is an emotional song. You kind of have to go there and feel those emotions so you can write about them.

Share a few memories that you have of your father.
A really funny story happened last year, when we went to see Tool [an American rock band] perform. This kid came up to us and asked if we could take a picture. We initially thought he was going to take a picture with dad, but he just wanted a picture of himself with the stage behind him, which my dad did. It was funny because we thought that if he realised who he was asking to take the picture for him, he might have wanted a different photo. Another memory I love is the advice dad would give me that his father gave him, which was if you ever make a mistake, do it twice because then everyone will think you meant to do it.

Can you give us a sneak peek into your debut album that is expected next year?
If you enjoy Distance, you can definitely expect sounds like that. Overall, there are going to be heavier songs too. I would expect that if you like rock 'n' roll, you will probably enjoy the album.

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