Having reviewed Mammoth’s debut back in 2021 and been blown away by it, this album has been on my radar for quite a while, I was fortunate to catch Wolfgang play supporting Def Leppard and Motley Crue on July 4th in Dublin at a wet Marlay Park, so that box was ticked, now it is time to consume his sophomore album and to say I am a little excited is an understatement!
What we get are ten tracks, all once again played by Mammoth on the album as per his debut, every instrument including vocals by the man himself and recorded at the Iconic 5150 Studios and produced by friend and collaborator Michael “Elvis” Baskette. Mammoth had a beautiful signature sound to his debut album in which each and every track cohesively flowed and resonated with each other, so it will be interesting to see how the progress and process of his songwriting has evolved from his debut.
The album opens up, well has the door kicked off it’s hinges with ‘Right’ with a thumping bassline and banging intro, you are thrust right into the mix with a barrage of complex drum patterns and guitar riffs to match, soaring vocals as ever and a blistering guitar solo that just says “Welcome Home, kick off those shoes, relax and enjoy, everything is going to be alright”. ‘Like A Pastime’ is up next, and whats clear so far is the pace of the riffage on this album, both opening tracks have a hefty pace to them, slightly more aggressive sounding than his debut but as always, melodic to the core. Next up is the album’s debut single which has another hilarious video and an absolute banger of a track which whet the appetite for this glorious album’s arrival.
‘Miles Above Me’ kicks in with a slamming guitar riff and then breaks as Mammoths vocals cut through, there’s a quality I love about his voice, perfectly natural, clean and powerful his sound has a reassuring quality as it resonates against the heft of the guitars and thumping backline, ‘Take A Bow’ is a glorious track that has VH vibes and a Satriani-esque solo, just a beauty of a number that will make you grin from ear to ear. ‘Optimist’ has a dark almost Alterbridge, Tremonti feel that grips you from the start, a gnarly track that digs in and bites at you throughout with a gargantuan sounding chorus, it’ll be a killer live! The riffage here is just filthy!
‘I’m Alright’ is up next and delivers yet again, as does ‘Erase Me’, I must say there is definitely more variety in the songwriting this time around as Mammoth showcases and flexes his musical muscles, the guitar work and solos, especially for anyone with a penchant for the six-string will absolute love Mammoths work on this album, but the blistering lead word and beautiful melodic finger tapping can be heard right across the album and it is great to see and hear that the art of a good solo has not been lost. ‘Waiting’ once again carries that theme with a more delicate side to his personality before we get to the albums closer, ‘Better Than You’ is described as a Beatles-esque track and I get that, if John, Paul, Ringo and George were all on meth and had 5150’s!
I jest of course, a great track to wrap up another stunning album, Mammoth II has delivered exactly what I wanted after such a sublime debut, Mammoth has the Midas touch and as the one the only Nancy Reagan said ‘’ Hey Kid’s, Don’t Do Drug” I think he’ll be fine.
Mammoth II arrives this Friday, August 4th courtesy of BMG. Enjoy!
The track listing for Mammoth II is: Right? Another Celebration At The End Of The World Miles Above Me Optimist Erase Me Waiting Better Than You Pre-order in multiple configurations here: https://MammothWVH.lnk.to/ |
|
|
