THE LICKERISH QUARTET: JAY GILBERT/PRESS; MAMMOTH WVH: TRAVIS SHINN/PRESS
Few new faces in rock have bigger shoes to fill than Wolfgang Van Halen. So far he has more than surpassed expectations, if you go by the evidence of Distance – the first single to be released from his solo band Mammoth WVH, it’s a beautiful, heartfelt ode to his late father Eddie. You can practically hear the world gasp, and maybe even tear up a bit – “Okay, so the guy can write a song, and play, and really sing…” – especially when he goes into a higher register in the chorus. To say that Eddie would have been incredibly proud seems trite, but it’s true.