Mammoth Mammoth

Mikey and Cuz on stage

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]

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.

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[5] and was temporarily replaced by Simon Jauney (Spiff) before they chose Pete Bell as the band's permanent bass player.

Mammoth Mammoth causing mayhem on stage

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]

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 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.

The band's fifth full length album, Volume V: Mount The Mountain 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 profi session musicians, Marco Gennaro and Kris Sinister to complete shows, in 2018 the two italians became stable members of the band.

Mammoth Mammoth after their show in Melbourne, Australia

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]

• 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)

• Mikey Tucker (vocals)
• Frank 'Bones' Trobbiani (drums)
• Marco Gennaro (guitars)
• Kris Sinister (bass)