The story so far…
MASHEENA - West Coast Hard Rock from Bergen, Norway
The history of MASHEENA dates back to the early 2000s, when Luis, Tarjei and Ole agreed to start a Thin Lizzy coverband after more than a few beers one night. That band never materialized, but the guys kept active over the years in other projects like ABBATH, ROYAL ROOSTER, LOST AT LAST, ILTI MILTA, MEELODI, ODISEA 4TET and ST SATAN.
After reigniting a smoldering fire, mellowed by time and sober expectations after spending half a lifetime in rehearsal rooms, and against better judgment, in 2021 Luis sent a few demos to Tarjei who literally had to dig out his bass from the basement after having sworn to never play in an original band again.
The legend ARMAGEDDA, known from IMMORTAL’s debut album, the ABBATH-fronted “I” and DEMONAZ’s solo album joined together with string virtuoso Ole rehearsing the songs in a barn in the outskirts of town transformed into a rehearsal cave.
Rather than re-inventing music itself, the purpose of MASHEENA is to share the joy and love of hard rock. The intended EP with songs from the demos quickly grew to a full album.
Musically, Masheena are inspired by both the sunny and shady grooves of the 70s, the shameless hedonism of 80s hard rock and heavy metal, as well as the jagged riffs and darker vibes of the 90s alternative rock and metal scenes.
The debut album “West Coast Hard Rock” was released in 2023 to critical acclaim and good streaming numbers, 2024 saw two non-album singles and a headlining tour of the EU/UK, and the addition of new guitar player HEINE HEGGERNES (LOST AT LAST, HEAVY METAL KINGS) and new drummer MARTIN HOLMES (POPIUM, SYLVIA WANE), and most important the recording of a follow-up album at The Machine Shop, Dripping Springs, Texas, USA with legendary producer Machine.
2025: Masheena is bigger, bolder and better than ever! New music is coming!
The band…
Luis “Metalberto” Salomon on vocals and guitar, has a great ear for both melody and crushing riffs. In the early 00s he was part of Royal Rooster, a real rock’n’roll steamroller, a favorite amongst both critics, fans and the industry. Now he’s back in full force, anything can happen!
Select discography:
Royal Rooster : Royal Rooster EP (2002), Rescued by Rock’n’roll iii (2004), Battle Royale (2007)
Barrio : Ciudad sin Tiempo (2007)
Main influences: Black Sabbath, D.Purple, L.Zeppelin, J.Hendrix, Soundgarden, F.n.More
Martin Holmes is a Bergen native who's left his mark on the Norwegian music scene with bands like Sylvia Wane and Popium! Popium was all about catchy hooks, killer rock vibes, great songs and goodtimes! While most people know him as a guitarist, a singer and an accomplished song writer, Martin’s got a another ace up his sleeve—he’s a beast on the drums, pounding out heavy grooves like Bonham, Eric Carr, and Dave Grohl!
Select discography:
Sylvia Wane - Où est-tu Capitaine? (2024)
Popium - Popium (2001)
Popium - Permanently High (2002)
Popium - Camp (2004)
Main influences: Kiss, Thin Lizzy, Sugar, Van Halen, Feeder, Soundtrack of Our Lives
Tarjei “El Profesor” Heggernes has kept his bass hanging low for decades. His main band has been Lost at Last, a band that released several albums and did some touring in the 90s and 00s, but he has also contributed both bass and guitar to other albums and projects over the years. He’s been playing in Heavy Metal Kings with Armagedda since the mid-00’s, securing a lock between the bass and drums that can only be forged by time itself.
Select discography:
Lost at Last: Heavy Metal 6-pack (2005), In Darkness (2006)
St Satan: Horns for adornment (2011)
Main influences: Black Sabbath, Judas Priest, Clutch, Falco
Heine “Heinemeyer” Heggernes is Masheena very own Malcolm - and for those of you that do not now: Malcolm Young was the REAL secret sauce of AC/DC. Heine can hold the groove and backing vocals down like Malcolm, plus rip out some killer leads! He's played with Tarjei A Heggernes i for many years in Lost at Last and Heavy Metal Kings, and even if it's not that easy to tell, he's actually Tarjei's biological brother.
Select discography:
Lost at Last: Come.to/lostatlast (1998)
Lost at Last: Heavy Metal 6-pack (2005)
Lost at Last: In Darkness (2006)
Main influences: Judas Priest, Anthrax, Soundgarden, Aerosmith, Faith No More, Erik Bye