Mammut

Mammut is a German rock group from Villingen-Schwenningen, active in 1970 and 1971. It is associated with krautrock, progressive rock and psychedelic rock, and is described as a 1970s krautrock band.

Line-up and background

The group appears to be a fusion of earlier bands called The Rope Set and Thoses. Its line-up consists of Klaus Schnur and Peter Schnur on lead guitars and lead vocals, Rainer Hoffmann on piano and organ, Tilo Herrmann on bass, flute and backing vocals, and Günter Seier on drums and percussion.

Style and sound

Mammut’s music is rooted in early progressive rock and hard rock, with strong psychedelic elements. It is associated with heavy, dark and conceptual rock writing, and with long-form pieces that move between acoustic passages, lyrical sections and heavier, dream-like jams. The band is also linked with hard blues and hard psych, and its sound is compared with groups such as Embryo, Amon Düül, Deep Purple, Canned Heat, Tomorrow’s Gift and Frumpy.

Release history

The band’s only album appears on the Orschwahl label as a private pressing. It later gets re-licensed by Little Wing of Refugees, but the release is withdrawn and becomes difficult to find. The album is regarded as a rarity within heavy and classic rock collecting circles.

Context

Mammut develops within the Stuttgart jazz scene and the broader German rock environment, with its work often placed in the krautrock tradition because of its German origin and experimental approach.