by Seamus Fitzpatrick
Wolfgang Van Halen has made a career out of proving he is a unique force in the rock genre. With “The End,” his latest single under the Mammoth WVH banner, he again walks that tightrope with commanding presence. The track delivers an adrenaline-shot of hard rock, but what makes it stand out is the way Wolfgang blends guitar fireworks with carefully structured songwriting and solid vocals.
The song kicks off with a two-hand tapping figure that is as catchy as it is virtuosic. Wolfgang’s figure is rhythmic, deliberate, and embedded into the composition itself, functioning as the hook. The guitar tone here is gritty but full, giving each note definition while maintaining the muscular weight required for arena-sized rock. When the band enters, the figure mutates into the bedrock of the verse. Wolfgang’s guitar parts are the building blocks within the broader narrative of the song. His vocals and vocal harmonies are excellent, and combined with his guitar playing make this something special.
Vocally, “The End” is anchored by a chorus that delivers immediacy and memorability. The lyric, “Take your hand in mine and watch the end with me,” has a gravitas, but it’s the melodic contour that seals it. Wolfgang crafts a line that arcs upward, then resolves with release, a classic songwriter’s move executed with rock-radio punch. The vocal harmonies add extra lift, layering the chorus into a multi-voiced wall that contrasts against the leaner verses in converging and diverging directions.
Songwriting variation is another strength. Each section carries subtle shifts of rhythmic accents in the drums, slight tonal differences in the guitars, and layered background vocals. All of this prevents the track from falling into predictability and builds interest. Wolfgang has already set the stage for development as an extension of the intro figure for the later third climax. He develops that tapping hook, expands it rhythmically, and blends melodic phrasing with precision execution. The result plays to the mind as a thematic development, the kind of approach that marks a songwriter as someone who understands form as well as fire.
Lyrically, the track lives in the tension between finality and unity. Lines like “No love / Bleeding out and bleeding over / No trust / Who are you to me?” juxtapose vulnerability with defiance, echoing the dualities in the music itself: shred and song, hook and heaviness, catharsis and collapse. The words reinforce its architecture, each chorus reasserting the central idea with an almost ritualistic weight.
Michael “Elvis” Baskette’s production deserves mention. His mix keeps the guitars massive without overwhelming the vocal clarity, with bass and drums punching through to give the single its stadium thrust. The sonic layers sound natural.
This single, “The End” is also the title track and lead preview from Wolfgang Van Halen’s upcoming third studio album, The End, set for release on October 24, 2025 via BMG. The record spans 10 tracks over roughly 39 minutes, recorded at the legendary 5150 Studios with longtime collaborator Michael “Elvis” Baskette at the production helm. For this project, Wolfgang has also streamlined the band’s identity to simply Mammoth, dropping the “WVH” tag after acquiring the full trademark rights. “The End” establishes the album’s guitar-forward, emotionally driven direction while confirming Wolfgang’s evolution as songwriter and frontman.
With “The End,” Wolfgang Van Halen continues to show he is a gifted instrumentalist, vocalist, and complete rock songwriter. The tapping riff may get the initial spotlight, but it’s the integration of that idea into the song’s DNA alongside strong melodic writing and meticulous vocal structures that make this single a win. That’s the short of it!
