The Spell (Mammoth song)
| "The Spell" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by Mammoth | ||||
| from the album The End | ||||
| Released | July 9, 2025 | |||
| Genre | Hard rock | |||
| Length | 3:29 | |||
| Label |
| |||
| Songwriter | Wolfgang Van Halen | |||
| Producer | Michael "Elvis" Baskette | |||
| Mammoth singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Music video | ||||
| "The Spell" on YouTube | ||||
"The Spell" is a song by American rock band Mammoth. It was released on July 9, 2025, as the second single from the band's third studio album, The End. It topped the Billboard Mainstream Rock Airplay chart in February 2026.
Background and composition
Wolfgang Van Halen characterized "The Spell" as having a "woozy seventies rock vibe" and said the song featured vocal runs he previously would not have attempted. He also called it a "good-feeling song", stating that listeners who were not interested in musical technicality could enjoy it, while noting that "cool riffs and drum fills" were also present. The song was described as opening with a palm-muted groove and featuring an "incisive riff" over an "off-kilter drumbeat".[1]
Consequence characterized the song as a melodic hard rock track.[2]
Release and promotion
"The Spell" was released on July 9, 2025, alongside the announcement of Mammoth's third studio album, The End.[1][3] The single was accompanied by a performance video featuring Wolfgang Van Halen playing multiple instruments.[4] A video of the band performing an acoustic version of the song for Apple Music's "Zane Lowe Show" was published on March 25, 2026.[5]
Reception
In a review of The End, Gerrod Harris of Spill Magazine wrote that singles including "The Spell" had a "slightly meaner sound",[6] while James Christopher Monger for AllMusic identified "The Spell" as one of the album's standout tracks.[7]
Music video
The music video was directed by Gordy De St. Jeor,[8] and depicts four versions of Wolfgang Van Halen performing together, similar to the band's 2021 video for "Don't Back Down".[2]
Track listing
All tracks are written by Wolfgang Van Halen.
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "The Spell" | 3:29 |
| 2. | "The End" | 3:33 |
| Total length: | 7:02 | |
Chart performance
"The Spell" became Mammoth's fourth number-one single on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Airplay chart when it topped the chart on February 7, 2026.[10]
Personnel
Credits adapted from Apple Music.[11]
Mammoth
- Wolfgang Van Halen – vocals, all instruments, songwriter
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
| Chart (2025–2026) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canada Mainstream Rock (Billboard Canada)[12] | 16 |
| US Rock & Alternative Airplay (Billboard)[13] | 9 |
| US Mainstream Rock Airplay (Billboard)[10] | 1 |
References
- 1 2 "Wolfgang Van Halen Announces Third Mammoth Album 'The End', Shares 'The Spell' Single". Blabbermouth.net. July 9, 2025. Retrieved May 28, 2026.
- 1 2 Hadusek, Jon (July 9, 2025). "Wolfgang Van Halen's Mammoth Announce New Album, Unveil Single "The Spell": Stream". Consequence. Retrieved May 29, 2026.
- ↑ Keenan, Hesher (July 9, 2025). "Mammoth Announces New Album 'The End', First Single "The Spell" Out Now". MetalSucks. Retrieved May 29, 2026.
- ↑ Garner, Emily (July 10, 2025). "Watch the video for Wolfgang Van Halen's new Mammoth single, The Spell". Kerrang!. Retrieved May 29, 2026.
- ↑ "Watch Mammoth Perform Acoustic Version Of 'The Spell' On Apple Music's 'Zane Lowe Show'". Blabbermouth.net. March 25, 2026. Retrieved May 31, 2026.
- ↑ Harris, Gerrod. "Spill Album Review: Mammoth – The End". The Spill Magazine. Retrieved May 31, 2026.
- ↑ Monger, James Christopher. "The End Review by James Christopher Monger". AllMusic. Retrieved May 31, 2026.
- ↑ Kennelty, Greg (July 9, 2025). "Wolfgang Van Halen Announces New Mammoth Album The End, Releases New Single "The Spell"". Metal Injection. Retrieved May 29, 2026.
- ↑ "The Spell - Single by Mammoth". Spotify. Retrieved May 31, 2026.
- 1 2 Rutherford, Kevin (January 30, 2026). "Mammoth Nabs 4th Mainstream Rock Airplay No. 1 With 'The Spell'". Billboard. Retrieved May 31, 2026.
- ↑ "The Spell - Song by Mammoth". Apple Music.
- ↑ "Canada Mainstream Rock for the week of January 10, 2026". Billboard Canada. Retrieved June 20, 2026.
- ↑ "Rock & Alternative Airplay". Billboard. Archived from the original on February 9, 2026. Retrieved May 31, 2026.