Masheena Premiere “Looks Like a Man” Video; West Coast Hard Rock Out Now
Norwegian heavy rockers Masheena released their debut album, West Coast Hard Rock, this past Friday, Sept. 1, through Majestic Mountain Records. From the heavy hotbed of Bergen — home to, among others, Enslaved, Slomosa, Strange Horizon, Green Sky Accident, Bismarck, Kryptograf, Melt Motif, on and on across a range of genres — the four-piece of Luis-Alberto Salomon, Tarjei A. Heggernes (formerly Lost at Last), drummer Gerhard “Armagedda” Herfindal (ex-Immortal, I, etc.) and Ole Andre “El Mago” Farstad (Abbath) offer eight tracks in a 35-minute salvo of immediately-pro-shop performance and production.
The latter was helmed by producer Iver Sandøy (also drums/vocals in Enslaved), and when you add in a mix/master by thrice-over Clutch producer Machine, the output sounds as clear, sharp and full as any larger-scale, commercially relevant offering, without necessarily being that thing. In terms of general sound, one might recognize elements of latter-day Alice in Chains in Masheena tracks like “Under the Same Sun,” the semi-acoustic harmonies in “Looks Like a Man” (video premiere below) and the more-acoustic-but-still-not-completely-unplugged “Sun Remains” on side B, where the early vocals lug a Jerry Cantrell-esque burden.
That is only part of the conversation Masheena are having, however. Being on Norway’s west coast, they’re positioning themselves in terms of place and giving name to the varied style they show throughout these songs, richly melodic, able to be huge or intimate, deep-toned but accessible in its structure and presentation. From the hooky launch of opener “1979” — not a Smashing Pumpkins cover, thankfully; the PR wire tagged it as KISS-meets-Sabbath and I ain’t arguing — they’re also speaking to a sense of Gen-X nostalgia in rock and roll and communing with various aspects of American West Coast rock, from desert heavy and grunge to the sitar-laced psych flourish of “Where Are You Now,” engaging modernity in the lyrics of “Five Seconds of Fame” while at the same time tapping into a rocker strut of a lead line that becomes an increasingly spacious solo as the band gallops through the “Okay/It’s okay” reassurance in the back half, double-kick drum providing extra push and maybe showing some of the band’s metallic roots in making that choice, but not interrupting the flow or putting aggressive elements where the songs don’t want them.
Side A’s got hooks. Side B’s got hooks.
Rest assured, here be hooks. West Coast Hard Rock isn’t trying to challenge its audience so much as carry it, and as broad as the layered chorus of “Under the Same Sun” is, Masheena never come remotely close to losing themselves or meandering from their purpose in craft. True, starting off with “1979” carries some risk in alienating post-Millennial heads, but (1:) that’ll last about as long as it takes to press play on the record and (2:) it’s likely honest to the band’s experience and what drove them to start this project in the first place, so I’m not about to knock it. And there’s a bit of burl in the repeated delivery of the title-line in “Looks Like a Man,” but rather than some chestbeating hyper-masculine trumpeting, the lyrics unfold a story about blacking out, maybe-murder, and the police investigation through its three verses as the electric/acoustic guitar blend gives a lush feel as they creep into the building chorus.
There, as well as in “Sun Remains” before and after the fuzz kicks in, in the breadth of the finale’s later reaches and in the relative thrust of the three-and-a-half-minute “Remember the Rain” just before, Masheena‘s songs are extroverted in their intention to affect the listener and loaded with aural details, little things here and there — the held bass note under the shuffle in “Five Seconds of Fame,” or the vocal arrangements in “Under the Same Sun” and “Looks Like a Man,” for example — to be found on repeat visits, which honestly seem to be the whole goal for the LP. To keep you coming back.
Masheena would seem to have built the material accordingly. From Sahg noted below to Grand Magus to any number of other examples, they exist as part of a decades-long history of Scandinavian heavy rock acts comprised of dudes from extreme metal outfits, but that’s only part of the story here. In concept, Masheena have more in common with their Motorpsycho-adacent countrymen Spidergawd, in that the material is straightforward on its face, still has an atmosphere — sun’s out, if you couldn’t tell — and rocks in such a way as to remind one that that’s all it needs to do when done well enough, which it is.
That’s probably more than one would reasonably ask of a newer band, even considering the context of pedigree/production, and they still get there in impressive and inviting fashion, with a batch of songs that are dynamic up to the last moments of “Where Are You Now,” with a heavy-prog roll and consuming, weighted, spacious and crashing outreach. It’ll probably be a few years before they follow it up, and when they do, it will be exciting to see how they grow their approach since four of these tracks — I’m going with side A — were from their initial demo, but West Coast Hard Rock sets its standard for longevity, and might just have delivered it. I’ll let you know in half a decade. Ha.
Video for “Looks Like a Man” premieres below, followed by more from the PR wire. Please enjoy:
Masheena, “Looks Like a Man” video premiere
Masheena on “Looks Like a Man”:
This video was shot over three hectic days on location in the North Coast of the Dominican Republic. Shot, directed and edited by New York -based director Lex Lukas, and video features members from Bergen’s Lovebugs and local rapper El Tampa.
In this video we follow the misadventures of former Austrian police detective Franz Hölzer (@derkommisarfranz) trying to solve a case and keep himself together in a tropical paradise. In between pristine beaches, lush tropical vegetation and pool parties we witness his failed interactions with locals, tourists and expats alike.
Video for the track “Looks Like A Man” from the album “West Coast Hard Rock” out on @majesticmountainrecords (vinyl) @TalonRecordsUSA (CD and cassette) Evil Noise Recordings (cassette) and on all digital platforms. Filmed and Edited by @LexLukas1 / @OutDuhBoxMedia. Story by Masheena and Lex Lukas. Featuring performances by @eltampa7133 and @norwegianlovebugs. Filmed on location in The Dominican Republic.
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 Immortal, 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.
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!”
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Tags: Bergen, Electric Talon Records, Evil Noise Recordings, Majestic Mountain Records, Masheena, Masheena West Coast Hard Rock, Norway, West Coast Hard Rock
Also thought Audrey Horne when I read the description. Ice Dale played on that phenomenal “I” album, so lots of connections in the Norway scene.