On their sophomore album, Masheena go heavier with their stoner-induced heavy metal, adding a sense of blues to their massive sonics.
The heavy rockers from Bergen, on the rainy west coast of Norway, journeyed over to Austin, US, to record their sophomore album. They spent a couple of weeks in Machine’s studio, with him at the helm. The name sounds familiar? He is a renowned producer of bands like Lamb of God, King Crimson, and not least, many of the Clutch albums. He has brought out the best in Masheena´s band members with this resounding and catchy album, which, of course, has a whiff of said Clutch in its sonics.
The songs are melodic with harmonies and strong, varied vocals. The sonorous bass lays out the strong foundation for the distorted guitar that often breaks out in fuzzy solos driven by diverse and relentless drumming. Even if these are seasoned musicians with decades of experience in the heavy realms of the Norwegian music scene, they have matured in their songwriting since their first album was released in 2023 (here’s our review).
The bluesy Stoner-infused heavy music has its catchy moments in songs like “Going To The Mountain”, which opens with harmonic singing before a fuzzy guitar takes the theme further as the bass and drums join. The vocals are hurried and eager, leading to the chorus coming back, shaping an earworm for you. It will certainly be a sing-along at their gigs this year, as they travel through Norway and the UK with their music this spring soon. With this song, the band manages to keep the distorted low-end heaviness while the song has a sense of a fast-driven pop song simultaneously. When the guitar begins to spin around the rhythm section, it becomes extremely energetic. The music halts a bit, leaving the hurried vocals almost alone before it fuses and surges into the chorus.
Even if the songs clock in around three minutes plus mark, they are constantly shifting shape with breathers and surges of heaviness. Just listen to the song “Sara Lost Her Way” that opens with intense vocals and acoustic guitar that are soon overwhelmed by distorted riffs and thunderous drumming. Hurried vocals make the song really remarkable, together with the complex rhythm section and harmonic chorus. The acoustic guitar returns, playing a fast part before the pace is overtaken by fuzzy guitar riffs and the heaviness by drummer Bård Heavy Nordvik and Tarjei A Heggernes. Even with the layered complexity in the sonics, the song has the quality of a crowd-pleaser.
The band also has the knack for relaxing the pace in all of their heaviness as shown with the song “Life Is But A Sin”, which is a slow and bluesy song seeped in Stoner forces. The leisurely vocals fits perfect to the slowed down pace. It eventually swells with riffs before it simmers back to the bluesy sonics again, before an engaging new swell with harmonic vocalizing from different angles. The magic continues with riffs and a growling bass before the drums push for a massive rhythmic pace, pushing a fuzzy high-pitched solo guitar.
With repeated listens, you do not get tired of the album; there is a lot of musical heavy energy to please lovers of the involved genres. Like, for example, on “In Her Eyes”, that goes from a slushy blues opening to a fuzzy guitar that rises to high pitches, slowly forming a melodic theme with the low-end bass laying the foundation. Or the heavy riff-based song, “Riffy” with undulating rhythm ebb and flow with intense vocals leading to an equally engaging high-pitched fuzzy hollow sound. In fact, the song is about their stay in Austin: ”Sleeping on landmarks / Hanging out with the Queen / Jazzing with jay at the KUTX / On the way to Machine”
The album´s closer, “You Owe Me” is kind of a heavy rock´n´roll song, fast paced and engaging – a song for the mosh pit. It is impossible not to wriggle a finger or tap your feet when you listen to this song. This is for the long stretch on the highway, putting the pedal to the metal. An engaging solo rises above the fast paced rhtythmic pace with the vocalist screaming the lyrics as the music heaves forward.
Their first album was well received in many places and earned the band a reputation for melodic heavy Stoner Rock. With this album, which contains plenty of energetic creativity from the musicians, they consolidate their reputation.
