Wolfgang Van Halen continues to be an outspoken fan of progressive extreme metal band Meshuggah.
Wolfgang recently took part in Amoeba Music’s “What’s in My Bag?” video series, flipping through the vinyl selections at the famed record store’s location in Hollywood, California.
The videos are a fascinating look into the music tastes of the artists themselves, and Wolfgang’s Amoeba haul is reflective of the core influences in his own music.
One band in particular — Meshuggah — has been a recurring namedrop for Wolfgang, as he previously cited the prog metallers as a direct influence on parts of the second Mammoth WVH album and even put the band on his wedding playlist. Not surprisingly, the first items he picked up at Amoeba were two different vinyl variants of Meshuggah’s latest album Immutable, along with copies of the Swedish band’s Nothing and Koloss.
“Meshuggah is my favorite,” said Van Halen. “It’s funny — there was a story that came out where it [quoted me as saying], like, ‘Meshuggah puts me to sleep,’ and that was taken out of context. I said I can fall asleep listening to Meshuggah, which is a compliment, because it relaxes me. It brings me peace. It brings me zen.”
He continued, “As a drummer first, I tend to intake music in a more rhythmic manner. I’m all about rhythm, and Mesguggah is rhythm. It’s like dinosaurs fighting.”
The rest of Wolfgang’s haul could be seen as cross-section of his own pop-centric hard rock sound: Foo Fighters (But Here We Are); Blink-182 (One More Time…); The Beatles (Abbey Road); Crosses (Goodnight, God Bless, I Love U, Delete.); Turnstile (Glow On); and Nine Inch Nails (“Add Violence” 12″).
He also snagged a couple of more personal records: Van Halen’s The Collection II box set and a copy of Mammoth WVH’s Mammoth II on yellow vinyl.
Wolfgang is set to tour with Mammoth WVH for much of 2024, including a headlining run and shows supporting Foo Fighters and Metallica. Dates kick off in February, and you can pick up tickets here.
Watch Wolfgang Van Halen’s episode of “What’s in My Bag?” below.
