Wolfgang Van Halen's band has released a new music video for the single "The End," marking the official change of the band's name to simply Mammoth. The video features a collaboration with director Robert Rodriguez and includes several cameos.
The video's storyline, cowritten by Van Halen and Rodriguez, pays homage to Michael Jackson's "Thriller" and Rodriguez's 1996 action horror film, From Dusk till Dawn.
The concept centers on the band playing a mysterious gig where the audience turns out to be sensitive to loud noise. The video directly references From Dusk till Dawn, including a cameo by Danny Trejo in a role reminiscent of his character from the film.
Other appearances in the video include guitarist Slash and Van Halen's mother, Valerie Bertinelli.
Van Halen stated the idea for a video referencing From Dusk till Dawn was something he considered if they worked with Rodriguez. He noted Rodriguez suggested connecting the video to previous Mammoth clips.
The band name change from Mammoth WVH to just Mammoth follows securing the trademark. Van Halen explained this was his original preference, intended as a direct homage to his father.
He discussed the process of writing "The End," noting it was an idea he revisited that felt challenging due to the featured guitar solo. He described finding discomfort in the creative process as a positive sign of exploring new musical areas.
Mammoth plans extensive touring throughout the year, including dates with Creed, 3 Doors Down, Daughtry, and Big Wreck. They also announced a fall headlining tour with support from Myles Kennedy.
Van Halen commented on the video's narrative, stating, "Even Danny Trejo being the owner, there's a little Easter egg there, since he's the bartender and the titty twister in From Dusk till Dawn. It was Robert's idea to tie the whole thing to the previous videos with the Wolfies who hate me. That was his idea, which is really, really funny to me."
