Wolf Van Halen recently talked about the influences certain bands had on him and his musical skills. He revealed that Tool’s 1996 album ‘Ænima’ influenced his bass guitar and drum skills and made him a better musician.
Wolf Van Halen kicked off his musical career after joining his father’s band, Van Halen, as their bassist in 2006. He also played in the heavy metal band Tremonti between 2012 and 2016. However, he also proved that his musical skills were not limited to bass guitar and drums.
After Eddie passed in October 2020, Van Halen disbanded for good, and they ruled out the idea of performing together in the future. Its members focused on their solo music, and David Lee Roth announced his retirement. Wolf, on the other hand, formed his band Mammoth WVH. In Mammoth WVH, he plays all the instruments and sings all the vocals during the recording session, but Wolfgang has also has formed a band for live performances.
Showing an abundance of instrumental skills, he recently stated that Tool’s 1996 album ‘Ænima’ helped him become a better musician in playing certain instruments. The album challenged him and showed him how to create feelings with music. He specifically gave credits by stating that it made him a better drummer and bass player.
Here is what he stated about Tool’s ‘Ænima‘:
“Another huge band who has been hugely influential and raised my musical talent by what they’re trying to do. It’s tough to pick because they’re all just so great, but I’d have to go with ‘Ænima’ as being that album that really challenged me.
When I heard the song ‘Third Eye’ for the first time, it blew my mind, cos it was one of the first songs I’d ever heard, that was over four minutes, and it just showed me creatively what you can do in that space and how you can create those feelings. That whole album made me a better drummer and a better bass player, and it really introduced me to the idea of progressive timings.”
‘Ænima’ is Tool’s second studio album and has been highly praised since its release. It debuted at No. 2 in Billboard 200 and sold almost 150,000 in its first week of release. Rolling Stone Magazine placed the album on their 100 greatest metal albums of all times list at No. 18.
