Mammoth Mammoth
Mammoth Mammoth (often stylized as MAMMOTH MAMMOTH) are an Australian hard rock/stoner rock band that formed in 2007 in Melbourne. The band independently released their self-titled debut EP in June 2008 through their label, Golden Triangle, and followed this with a full-length album titled "Volume II: Mammoth" in August 2009.
Mammoth Mammoth | |
|---|---|
 Mammoth Mammoth 2015 | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | Melbourne, Australia |
| Genres | Heavy rock, stoner rock, murder fuzz |
| Years active | 2007-present |
| Labels | Napalm Records |
| Website | www |
| Members | Mikey Tucker
Frank 'Bones' Trobbiani Marco Gennaro Kris Sinister |
| Past members | Gareth 'Gash' Sweet
Simon 'Spliff' Jaunay Ben 'Cuz' Couzens Pete Bell |
In November 2012, their third album Volume III: Hell’s Likely was released, and after good sales and recognition in Europe were signed by Austrian label Napalm Records.[1] Mammoth Mammoth's sound has been likened to "Motorhead doing mushrooms with Black Sabbath backstage at a Butt Hole Surfers concert".[2]
The band are well known for their raucous, live shows; Heavy Magazine Australia said, "their live reputation precedes them ... Mikey Tucker knows no boundaries and goes in hard every time; throwing himself off the stage and throughout the crowd."[3] Mammoth Mammoth have been banned from performing at two music venues in Melbourne. According to an interview in the blog Riff media, Tucker fell through a glass window at The Tote Hotel after head-butting it to get the attention of concert attendees smoking outside. He then continued the show covered in blood.[4]
Background and name
Mammoth Mammoth were originally formed by Ben 'Cuz' Couzens and Gareth 'Gash' Sweet as a result of their growing boredom with the Melbourne rock scene, which they saw as being full of "shoe-gazing indie-rock bands doing very little to entertain or commit".[5] They describe themselves as "a heavy rock band from Melbourne Australia that smash the shit out of their stoner, glam, doom, punk and psychedelic rock influences".[6] The band name is derived from the name of the woolly mammoth, stemming from their desire to have a band with the "biggest" name they could think of.[7] Couzens and Trobbiani were previously members of Melbourne rock band Furious Dragon Love; Couzens was also jamming in a side project with friend, bassist Gareth "Gash" Sweet. Tucker was recruited to join them as lead singer when his band Black Fang broke up. The line-up consisting of Couzens on guitar, Trobbiani on drums, "Gash" on bass and Tucker as vocalist combined to form original Mammoth Mammoth.[8]
Volume I: Mammoth Mammoth EP (2008)
In 2008, the band recorded their debut EP before they played a live show.[2] At their earlier live shows before releasing the EP, the audience and the press were unsure whether the band's performance was a joke.[5] In interviews, the band comments on their hands-on approach when creating their videos, concert posters, and album artwork.[9] The song Weapon of Mass Self-Destruction from their EP Volume I features a video that was banned from YouTube because of its explicit images of vintage 1970s vintage pornography. In response, they posted it on pornography site tube8, where it received millions of views in its first few days.
Volume II: Mammoth and line-up changes (2009 – 2011)
In 2009 the band made their first appearance at the CherryRock Festival held in Melbourne's iconic laneway AC/DC Lane. In 2010, following the release of Volume II: Mammoth, their second self-titled album, the band toured Australia with fellow Melbourne hard rock band Airbourne and again played CherryRock Festival. Shortly after, Sweet left the band[5] and was temporarily replaced by Simon Jauney (Spiff) before they chose Pete Bell as the band's permanent bass player.
Volume III: Hell’s Likely (2012 – 2013)
Mammoth Mammoth created the basic outline for their album Volume III: Hell’s Likely over a continuous, three-day jamming session.[10] They later recorded the album in two weeks at Toyland and Goatsounds Studios in Melbourne. They employed Jason Fuller, producer and bassist for Australian metal band Blood Duster, to work with them on the album.[11] Guitarist Ben Couzens said working on material for the album meant the band "just played around with a bunch of jams."[11]
In 2012, after the Australian release of Volume III: Hell’s Likely, Mammoth Mammoth were approached by Napalm Records and subsequently signed an international recording contract.[1] The album was re-released internationally to positive reviews and the band supported it with their 2013 European tour. Metal Hammer magazine's German, French and UK editions voted Hell’s Likely number two for "album of the month" in December 2012.[5] Mammoth Mammoth returned to Australia to play Melbourne's CherryRock Festival in AC/DC Lane, sharing the bill with fellow Australian hard rockers, Rose Tattoo.
Volume IV: Hammered Again (2014 – 2016)
In 2014, the band wrote and recorded their fourth studio album, Volume IV: Hammered Again.[12] The first video release for the track Looking Down the Barrel is a tribute to Penelope Spheeris's The Decline Of Western Civilization Part 2: The Metal Years, in which W.A.S.P. guitarist Chris Holmes sums up the era as he is being interviewed while drinking vodka and floating in a pool while his mother watches.
The video's recurring theme is nihilism, which run through a number of the album's songs.[13] On completion of the album, the band toured throughout Europe and alongside former Kyuss vocalist John Garcia and followed up with supports of U.S. doom legends Sleep.[14] In 2016, the band made a record fourth appearance on the main stage of CherryRock, sharing the bill with Kadavar, Supersuckers and Richie Ramone.
Mammoth Bloody Mammoth (2016 – 2017)
In 2016, the band returned briefly to the studio to write and record an EP, Mammoth Bloody Mammoth. The album featured a cover of the MC5's Kick Out The Jams. The EP was supported with a European tour with label mates Green Leaf and My Sleeping Karma and shows in Australia supporting Hellyeah and Black Label Society.
Volume V: Mount The Mountain, Kreuzung - present (2017-2020)
The band's fifth full length album, Volume V: Mount The Mountain was released through Napalm Records in April 2017. The Mount The Mountain European Tour took place through April and May of the same year before tensions between band members caused the band to fragment and use session musicians, Marco Gennaro and Kris Sinister to complete shows, in 2018 the two Italians became stable members of the band. In 2019 the band wrote and recorded their sixth album, Kreuzung in Berlin and embarked on a European tour with Australian band Dead City Ruins. In August 2020, a statement was posted on MAMMOTH MAMMOTH's social media accounts, "F@#k you Corona virus! While the world is afraid of blood, sweat and beers, MAMMOTH MAMMOTH simply cannot exist. We’re outta here!" It is unclear of the official status of the band.
Style
The band describes their sound as "patented, good-time murder-fuzz" and "more awesome than God’s tits". They describe the effect of their music as "capable of killing unicorns". Mammoth Mammoth describe their songwriting style as "four guys in a boxing ring with no referee".[10]
Discography
- Volume I: Mammoth Mammoth (EP) (2008)
- Volume II: Mammoth (2009)
- Volume III: Hell’s Likely (2012)
- Volume IV: Hammered Again (2015)
- Mammoth Bloody Mammoth (EP) (2016)
- Volume V: Mount The Mountain (2017)
- Kreuzung (2019)
Band members
- Mikey Tucker (vocals)
- Frank 'Bones' Trobbiani (drums)
- Marco Gennaro (guitars)
- Kris Sinister (bass)
References
- Staff writers. "Australian fuzz-rockers, MAMMOTH MAMMOTH officially ink a worldwide deal with Austria’s Napalm Records." May The Rock Be With You, Australia, 14 September 2012. Retrieved on 10 November 2014.
- Di Gotta, Sen. "Artist: Mammoth Mammoth" The Mayfair Mall Zine, 16 January 2013. Retrieved on 10 November 2014.
- Moore, Anthony. "Mammoth Mammoth The Devil Rides Out" Heavy Magazine, Australia, 13 June 2012.
- Riane, Adam. "Mammoth Mammoth Interview" Riff Interviews, 10 March 2013. Retrieved on 10 November 2014.
- Thesses, Frank. "Dickes Fell" Metal Hammer Germany Magazine, 2012.
- "MAMMOTH MAMMOTH - Band Information". mammothmammothofficial.com/.
- Wosgien, Markus. "Mammoth Mammoth" EMP Germany, 2012. Link expired.
- "Mammoth Mammoth - Encyclopaedia Metallum: The Metal Archives". metal-archives.com.
- Weller, Phil. "Interview with Mammoth Mammoth" The Sludgelord, 5 January 2014. Retrieved on 10 November 2014.
- "Mammoth Mammoth" BURRN Magazine, Japan. 2012.
- Hamoir, Pierre-Philippe (8 December 2013). "Interview : Mammoth Mammoth". Shoot Me Again (in French). Archived from the original on 24 December 2013. Retrieved 13 November 2020.
- Staff writers. " Details On New Album 'Volume IV - Hammered Again' Revealed By Mammoth Mammoth" Metal Underground, 15 January 2015. Retrieved on 9 March 2015.
- Adrien Begrand. "Mammoth Mammoth’s Chris Holmes Tribute" Decibel Magazine, 4 March 2015. Retrieved on 9 March 2015.
- Staff writers. "John Garcia, Waxy, Mammoth Mammoth. The Gershwin Room, Melbourne. 12-09-2014." Desert Highways, 19 September 2015. Retrieved on 9 March 2015.
