Mammoth Mammoth

Background and name

Mammoth Mammoth were originally formed by Couzens and Sweet because of differences between them and the Melbourne rock scene, which they saw as being full of "shoe-gazing indie-rock bands doing very little to entertain or commit". 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". 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. Couzens and Trobbiani were previously members of Melbourne rock band Furious Dragon Love; Couzens played on the side with friend and fellow band member, bassist Gareth "Gash" Sweet. Tucker was recruited to the group as lead singer when his group Black Fang broke up. The four-piece band, consisting of Couzens playing guitar, Trobbiani on drums, "Gash" on bass and Tucker as vocalist, became Mammoth Mammoth.

Volume I: Mammoth Mammoth EP (2008)

In 2008, the band recorded their debut EP before they played a live show. At their earlier live shows before releasing the EP, the audience and the press were unsure whether the band's performance was a joke. In interviews, the band comments on their hands-on approach when creating their videos, concert posters, and album artwork. 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 2010, following the release of Volume II: Mammoth, their second self-titled album, the band toured Australia with fellow Melbourne hard rock band Airbourne. On their return, Sweet left the band 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. 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. Singer Ben Couzens said working on material for the album meant the band "just played around with a bunch of jams."

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. 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.

Volume IV: Hammered Again (2014 – present)

In 2014, the band wrote and recorded their fourth studio album, Hammered Again. 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. On completion of the album, the band toured alongside former Kyuss vocalist John Garcia and followed up with supports of U.S. doom legends Sleep.

Style

The band describes their sound as “patented, good-time murder-fuzz” and “more awesome than God’s tits". They state the effect of hearing their music is "capable of sometimes killing unicorns". Mammoth Mammoth describe their songwriting style as "four guys in a boxing ring with no referee".

Discography

Band members