The End (Mammoth song)

"The End"
Single by Mammoth
from the album The End
ReleasedMay 1, 2025
Length3:33
LabelBMG
SongwriterWolfgang Van Halen
ProducerMichael "Elvis" Baskette
Mammoth singles chronology
"I'm Alright"
(2023)		 "The End"
(2025)		 "The Spell"
(2025)
Music video
"The End" on YouTube

"The End" is a song by American rock band Mammoth. It was released on May 1, 2025, as a single from Wolfgang Van Halen's third studio album, The End. The song marked the first release by Mammoth following the removal of the "WVH" suffix from the band's name. It topped the Billboard Mainstream Rock Airplay chart in August 2025.

Background and release

"The End" was the first release by Mammoth following the removal of the "WVH" initials from the band's name.[1][2] Wolfgang described the track as "over-the-top and shreddy" while also calling it "melodic and controlled", saying that he was doing different things on the record.[3] He said the song's tapping pattern originated from a 2014 demo that had initially been set aside before he revisited it and built a song around it. He added that he was "maybe worried about too many comparisons" regarding guitar tapping, but later said that "at the end of the day I've realized that's going to happen either way" and that he "might as well just have fun and enjoy myself".[4] He also said that he used Eddie Van Halen's "Frankenstein" guitar to record the song's slap part.[5] He added that the Los Angeles wildfires inspired the song's lyrics, adding that "The End" was about acceptance.[6]

The song was released alongside a music video.[7]

Composition

The song was developed with producer Michael "Elvis" Baskette, a returning collaborator of Van Halen's.[8][9] Wolfgang noted that the song's intro contains a callback to Van Halen's "Source of Infection" from OU812, saying: "There's a little callback in the intro to 'Source of Infection' off of Van Halen's OU812, where I think maybe Donn Landee says 'Take one'... I actually yelled that into the pickup of the guitar on 'The End'". He said the song's verse riff originated as a slap bass idea that he demonstrated on guitar, after which Baskette suggested continuing with guitar for the part.[10]

The song opens with a two-handed tapping riff,[11][12] and features fast-paced verse sections and a melodic chorus.[3]

Reception

Heavy Consequence praised Wolfgang Van Halen's guitar playing and vocals.[13] Philip Wilding of Classic Rock described the song as a mix of classic Van Halen and 1980s Rush.[14] Steve Beebee of Kerrang! said that "The End" put Wolfgang's musicianship and melody into "an explosive little capsule".[15] Reviewing the album, Rock 'N' Load praised the song's "killer tapping intro" and "killer riff/hybrid picking technique",[16] while Distorted Sound praised the song's opening electric-guitar composition, describing it as "impossible not to be impressed" by.[17] Spill Magazine wrote that "The End", "The Spell" and "I Really Wanna" showed a "slightly meaner sound" from Wolfgang Van Halen.[18] James Christopher Monger of AllMusic identified "The End" as one of the album's standout tracks.[19]

Loudwire ranked "The End" at No. 1 on its list of best rock songs of 2025.[6]

Music video

Wolfgang Van Halen drafted the concept for the music video,[20] which was directed by Robert Rodriguez, with horror effects artist Greg Nicotero creating zombies, werewolves and vampires.[21] The video depicts the band performing at a bar reminiscent of From Dusk Till Dawn's Titty Twister, where they are greeted by Danny Trejo.[22] It features appearances by Slash, Myles Kennedy, Valerie Bertinelli,[23] and Wolfgang's wife,[24] and opens with the disclaimer: "Due to my strong personal convictions, I wish to stress that this film in no way endorses a belief in the occult."[25] The video begins and ends with an homage to Michael Jackson's "Thriller" video, including a shot of Wolfgang turning toward the camera with yellow eyes. Loudwire also noted that the video features recurring "Wolfgang" characters from previous Mammoth videos, who are revealed to have set up the encounter in an attempt to regain their presence in the band.[26]

Track listing

"The End" single[27][28]
No.TitleLength
1."The End"3:33

Live performances

Mammoth performed "The End" at WDHA's "Mammoth For Ya' Mama!" event at Debonair Music Hall in Teaneck, New Jersey, on May 11, 2025.[29][30] An acoustic version of the song was performed at Rock Fore Down Syndrome during the 2nd Annual Tremonti Family Charity Golf Tournament in Nashville on October 2, 2025.[31] Wolfgang commented that "trying to do the tapping acoustically" was "very funny".[32]

Chart performance

"The End" reached number one on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Airplay chart on August 2, 2025, becoming Mammoth's third song to top the chart.[33]

Personnel

Credits adapted from Apple Music.[34]

Mammoth

Additional credits

  • Michael "Elvis" Baskette – producer, mixing engineer, recording engineer
  • Brad Blackwood – mastering engineer
  • Josh Saldate – assistant mixing engineer, additional engineer
  • Jeff Moll – editing engineer, recording engineer

Charts

References

  1. ↑ "Wolfgang Van Halen Says He Dropped His Initials From Band Name After Finally Securing Mammoth Trademark". Blabbermouth.net. June 28, 2025. Retrieved May 22, 2026.
  2. ↑ "Wolfgang Van Halen's Mammoth drop WVH from name after acquiring trademark". Classic Rock, Louder Sound, Metal Hammer. June 29, 2025. Retrieved May 22, 2026.
  3. 1 2 Hadusek, Jon (May 1, 2025). "Wolfgang Van Halen's Mammoth Unveil New Song "The End" with Mind-Blowing Video". Consequence. Retrieved May 16, 2026.
  4. ↑ Graff, Gary (October 24, 2025). "'You're Always Trying for All Killer, Not Filler': Wolfgang Van Halen Talks Mammoth's 'The End'". Billboard. Retrieved May 23, 2026.
  5. ↑ Childers, Chad (May 6, 2025). "The Portion of New Mammoth Song Wolfgang Used Eddie Van Halen's 'Frankenstein' Guitar On". Loudwire. Retrieved May 21, 2026.
  6. 1 2 Schaffner, Lauryn (December 11, 2025). "Mammoth's 'The End' — Loudwire's Best Rock Song of 2025 (Interview)". Loudwire. Retrieved May 25, 2026.
  7. ↑ Stickler, Jon (May 1, 2025). "Wolfgang Van Halen's Mammoth Share New Single The End". Stereoboard. Retrieved May 18, 2026.
  8. ↑ "From Mammoth WVH To Mammoth – Wolfgang Van Halen Explains Band's Name Change – "It's What We Wanted The Whole Time"; Video". BraveWords. May 13, 2025. Retrieved May 21, 2026.
  9. ↑ "Wolfgang Van Halen Explains Why He Dropped His Initials From Mammoth WVH Band Name". Blabbermouth.net. May 13, 2025. Retrieved May 21, 2026.
  10. ↑ Adams, Gregory (November 5, 2025). "How Wolfgang Van Halen made the monster guitar album of 2025". Guitar World. Retrieved May 24, 2026.
  11. ↑ Hiatt, Brian. "Wolfgang Van Halen Shreds for a Vampire Audience in New Video". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on May 1, 2025. Retrieved May 19, 2026.
  12. ↑ Weller, Phil (May 2, 2025). "Wolfgang Van Halen goes big on the two-hand tapping in new Mammoth single – and recruits Slash and Myles Kennedy for a horror-inspired music video loaded with an Eddie Van Halen Easter egg". Guitar World. Retrieved May 19, 2026.
  13. ↑ Hadusek, Jon (May 2, 2025). "Heavy Song of the Week: Wolfgang Van Halen Flexes His Guitar Skills on Mammoth's "The End"". Consequence. Retrieved May 20, 2026.
  14. ↑ Wilding, Philip (October 23, 2025). "Wolfgang Van Halen comes of age on Mammoth's thundering third album The End". Classic Rock. Retrieved May 23, 2026.
  15. ↑ Steve Beebee (October 24, 2025). "Album review: Mammoth – The End". Kerrang!. Retrieved May 23, 2026.
  16. ↑ "Mammoth // The End // Album Review". Rock 'N' Load Magazine. October 24, 2025. Retrieved May 24, 2026.
  17. ↑ Griffiths, Charlotte (October 29, 2025). "Album Review: The End – Mammoth". Distorted Sound. Retrieved May 24, 2026.
  18. ↑ "Spill Album Review: Mammoth – The End". The Spill Magazine. October 2025. Retrieved May 26, 2026.
  19. ↑ Monger, James Christopher. "The End – Mammoth Album Review". AllMusic. Retrieved May 26, 2026.
  20. ↑ Adams, Gregory (May 1, 2025). "See Mammoth WVH channel 'From Dusk Till Dawn' in star-studded new video for "The End"". Revolver. Retrieved May 18, 2026.
  21. ↑ "Wolfgang Van Halen's Mammoth Releases New Single 'The End'". Blabbermouth.net. May 1, 2025. Retrieved May 17, 2026.
  22. ↑ Lewry, Fraser (May 2, 2025). "Mammoth return with horror-themed video starring Danny Trejo, Slash, Valerie Bertinelli and multiple zombie flesh-eaters". Classic Rock. Retrieved May 19, 2026.
  23. ↑ Garner, Emily (May 1, 2025). "Wolfgang Van Halen unleashes new Mammoth single, The End". Kerrang!. Retrieved May 17, 2026.
  24. ↑ Roberts, Rachel (May 7, 2025). ""Makes me feel closer to Pop": Watch Wolfgang Van Halen use Eddie's Frankenstein guitar to record his new single". Guitar.com. Retrieved May 21, 2026.
  25. ↑ Dejoui, Leila (May 3, 2025). "Wolfgang Van Halen's Mammoth WVH Releases New Song "The End"". MXDWN. Retrieved May 20, 2026.
  26. ↑ Childers, Chad (May 1, 2025). "All the Cameos in Mammoth's New 'The End' Video". Loudwire. Retrieved May 16, 2026.
  27. ↑ "The End - Single by Mammoth". Spotify. Retrieved May 26, 2026.
  28. ↑ "The End - Single - Album by Mammoth". Apple Music. Retrieved May 26, 2026.
  29. ↑ "Watch Mammoth Perform "The End" For 105.5 WDHA Contest Winners; Pro-Shot Video". BraveWords. May 22, 2025. Retrieved May 21, 2026.
  30. ↑ "See Pro-Shot Video Of Mammoth Performing 'The End' At WDHA's 'Mammoth For Ya' Mama!' Event". Blabbermouth.net. May 22, 2025. Retrieved May 22, 2026.
  31. ↑ "Watch Wolfgang Van Halen's Mammoth Perform Acoustic Version Of "The End" Live In Nashville". BraveWords. October 6, 2025. Retrieved May 22, 2026.
  32. ↑ Glass, Polly (January 5, 2026). "Wolfgang Van Halen on 5150, battling demons and the good ship Mammoth". Classic Rock. Retrieved May 26, 2026.
  33. 1 2 Rutherford, Kevin (August 1, 2025). "Mammoth's 'The End' Begins No. 1 Run on Mainstream Rock Airplay Chart". Billboard. Retrieved May 22, 2026.
  34. ↑ "The End - Song by Mammoth". Apple Music.
  35. ↑ "Canada Mainstream Rock for the week of October 4, 2025". Billboard Canada. Retrieved June 19, 2026.
  36. ↑ "CZ - Radio - Top 20 Modern Rock". hitparada.ifpicr.cz. Retrieved May 27, 2026.
  37. ↑ "Rock & Alternative Airplay". Billboard. Archived from the original on July 30, 2025. Retrieved May 27, 2026.
  38. ↑ "Year End Charts 2025: Canada Mainstream Rock". Billboard. Retrieved June 19, 2026.
  39. ↑ "Rock & Alternative Airplay Songs – Year-End 2025". Billboard. Archived from the original on December 11, 2025. Retrieved June 4, 2026.
  40. ↑ "Mainstream Rock Airplay Songs – Year-End 2025". Billboard. Archived from the original on December 9, 2025. Retrieved May 27, 2026.
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