Full album preview at The Orchard

Contact: masheenaband@gmail.com

Phone/Whatsapp: +4795749076 (Luis)/ +4793052940 (Tarjei)

Useful files: Press release (pdf) - Album cover - Band photo - bandlogo

Links to pre-save/pre-orders

Press release:

What to expect: From the Sabbath-meets-Kiss bounce of ‘1979’ and the grunge on ‘Under The Same Sun’ on the first two singles, ‘West Coast Hard Rock’ presents a versatile collection of hard rock tunes. ‘Looks Like A Man’ and its storytelling tips its hat respectfully north to Motorspycho, ‘5 seconds’ sounds like something that could happen if Dave Grohl and Red Fang crashed a party at The Doom Saloon, ‘Brings Me Down’ has a southern groove and a swagger like David Coverdale before he got his Hollywood-teeth. There’s even a ballad, ‘Sun Remains’ that echoes early Zeppelin and the devastatingly heavy album-closer ‘Where Are You Now’, leaving you craving for a second listen-through.

Masheena is based on a simple yet challenging mission: to honor the rich heritage of hard rock music by creating great songs that people can connect with.

In 2021, Luis-Alberto Salomon started sharing demos with his longtime friend Tarjei A. Heggernes. Before Masheena, Luis had been a vocal and instrumental cornerstone in Royal Rooster, while Tarjei played bass and drove the rhythm for Lost at Last. Seeing the potential in the demos, Tarjei jumped on board, and also roped in Gerhard Herfindal, better known as Armagedda; A legendary drummer, who has played with formidable acts such as Immoral, I, and Demonaz. The ensemble was completed with the inclusion of Luis's friend, multi-instrumentalist Ole Andre Farstad aka “El Mago”, current lead guitarist for Abbath.

The group soon decided to form a band, and the raw mixes of their initial four songs, originally slated to form an EP, piqued the interest of the revered label Majestic Mountain Records. Impressed with the sound, the label urged the band to develop a full-length album. 

The recording sessions took place at Solslottet Studio in the band’s hometown of Bergen, Norway, with the assistance of another long-time friend, the award-winning producer and Enslaved drummer, Iver Sandøy. For the crucial process of mixing and mastering, they turned to the industry titan known as Machine. As a Clutch fan, Tarjei relished the opportunity to collaborate with the wizard who had shaped the sound of legendary albums like Blast Tyrant and Earth Rocker.

Their debut single, “1979” released in tandem with their premiere live shows at the Majestic Mountain Records Festival Oslo in December 2022, exceeded all expectations. It secured impressive placements on Spotify playlists, nominations for the Best Norwegian Rock Song of the Year, and substantial airplay on NRK, Norway's national radio. NRK DJ Totto Mjelde even declared, “When you have a song as good as this, you don’t need more than one song." 

This momentum ultimately led the band to be selected as one of the ten contenders, from a list of 250 bands, to perform at Norway's largest rock festival, Tons of Rock, by public voting.

Luis aka  "Metalberto" reflects on his songwriting process: "A song is a microcosm of life itself, possessing a definitive beginning and an end. The beginning provides the initial grasp, and the end signals closure... but it's the ride in between it's all about! I've been waiting for this one since 1979!"

Regarding the album's title and artwork, Tarjei aka “El Profesor” provides an insight: "Bergen is renowned for its diverse musical genres, from Black Metal to Tropical House. However, the west coast of Norway has always nurtured a vibrant hard rock scene, boasting bands like Kvelertak, Audrey Horne, Sahg, Kal-El, and more. We also draw inspiration from the (US) west coast rock of the ‘70s, the ‘80s LA scene, and the Seattle-based hard rock of the ‘90s. West Coast Hard Rock! For the artwork, we commissioned LA tattoo artist Chon Hernandez, known for his work on Clutch's Blast Tyrant cover. We requested coastal elements and a potential robot. The resulting hand-drawn masterpiece was nothing short of astonishing, exceeding our wildest dreams!"

Some quotes: 

It's always inspiring to work with music you enjoy, these guys came out of nowhere (well Sweden I thought, but Norway it is). First time I heard "Under The Same Sun '' was just like hearing a hit I hadn't heard yet. And the vocals? Guy sounds like a cool MF with a swagger! I look forward to working with those guys again!

• Gene "Machine" Freeman, legendary producer on the mixing the album

An intense and devastating track that advances like a mass and explodes in a luminous chorus.

• Rock Fuengino, Argentina, on the second single “Under The Same Sun”

Simply a must for fans of the style and certainly a name to look out for from now on.

• Roadie Metal, Brazil, on the first single “1979”

When you have a song as good as this, you don’t need more than one song.

• Totto Mjelde, NRK Radio DJ, on the first single “1979”

I think the guys walked out of the first session for what was intended as an EP in mild shock. Helping people exceed their own expectations is the ultimate producer's goal, so in my book this is already a great success!

• Award-winning producer Iver Sandøy on the recording sessions

Track listing: 

1. 1979

2. Under The Same Sun

3. Looks Like A Man

4. Brings Me Down

5. Five Seconds Of Fame

6. Sun Remains

7. Remember The Rain

8. Where Are You Now