Wolfgang Van Halen has shared “Like a Pastime,” the second single from his band Mammoth WVH’s forthcoming sophomore album, Mammoth II, out August 4th.
Wolfgang previously said that he was taking inspiration from progressive bands such as Meshuggah on the new album. Although “Like a Pastime” isn’t nearly as extreme at Meshuggah, the track does make use of polyrhythms — a prog staple.
“It centers around a 4/4-time signature, but with a polyrhythm on top,” Wolfgang said via a press release. “I was teaching my fiancée what a polyrhythm is, and I stumbled upon this idea. The kick drums are accentuating it. It’s certainly one of my favorites and a completely different vibe than anything on the first album.”
As he did on the first album, Wolfgang plays all instruments on the upcoming sophomore effort. The guitar parts are definitely more kinetic and varied on the two songs we’ve heard from Mammoth II, including the lead single “Another Celebration at the End of the World.” Still, Wolfgang’s dynamic pop-centric vocal performances seems to have carried over from the debut album, with his melodic delivery highlighting “Like a Pastime.”
Surrounding the release of the new album, Mammoth WVH are slated to support Alter Bridge on an August trek, along supporting Metallica on select dates on the latter’s “M72” world tour throughout 2023 and 2024. Get tickets to Mammoth WVH’s upcoming shows here.
You can pre-order Mammoth II vinyl here. Stream the lyric video for “Like a Pastime” below.
