Expansive mountains cover nearly two-thirds of Norway, giving the country a breathtaking sense of natural splendor and mystique, as if its topography has guarded secrets for millennia. Emerging from the city of Bergen, Slomosa channels the vastness of their surroundings through a powerful blend of revved-up stoner rock riffs, grungy hooks, and a focused punk energy. Their sound mirrors the landscape, with an avalanche of distortion crashing into valleys of massive melody, all infused with a tectonic force. Now, the group—Ben Berdous (vocals, guitar), Marie Moe (vocals, bass), Tor Erik Bye (guitar), and Jard Hole (drums)—perfect this signature style in their aptly titled second full-length album and MNRK Heavy debut, Tundra Rock.
“‘Tundra Rock’ is our version of ‘Desert Rock,'” Ben explains. “A desert doesn’t have to be warm. In fact, the world’s largest desert is Antarctica. For us, the tundra is our desert. We thought it’d be cool to coin a genre, and it stuck with us. You can definitely hear the grandeur of nature in the songs.”
Nearly a decade ago, Ben started Slomosa as a “casual excuse to drink beer, smoke, and play rock music with friends.” Without pressure or expectations, the songs naturally took shape, influenced by bands like Kyuss, Queens of the Stone Age, Sleep, Nirvana, Alice In Chains, and Soundgarden. Their self-titled 2020 debut, SLOMOSA, has racked up over 10 million streams, powered by tracks like “Kevin,” “In My Mind’s Desert,” “There Is Nothing New Under The Sun,” and “Horses.” The album drew critical praise, with Invisible Oranges declaring, “Slomosa evoke the best of early stoner rock without resorting to lazy imitation.” The band went on to play packed shows across Europe and the UK, lighting up stages at Alcatraz Open Air and Hellfest, and receiving tour invitations from bands like Alkaline Trio.
In 2024, Slomosa entered the studio with producer Erik Marinius to record Tundra Rock. In many ways, the band continued from where they left off while taking a significant leap forward.
“I wanted it to be a natural progression from what we did on the first record,” Ben reflects. “In many ways, my life has changed. I went from a regular job to being a full-time touring musician. What was once a hobby became my career. We didn’t plan for the first album to become what it did. Since then, I’ve been through a lot. Tundra Rock is darker and more melodic. It reflects the emotional side of the band.”
The band paved the way for this next chapter with tracks like “Cabin Fever” and “Rice.” Their single “Battling Guns” showcases their evolution, with purring distortion and Ben’s ethereal vocals guiding the song towards the question, “What would you do?”
“I originally wrote it about the Palestinian-Israeli conflict when I was younger,” Ben reveals. “My roots are Algerian, but I grew up in a partially Palestinian home, and my siblings are half-Palestinian. I was aware of the conflict from a young age and was very political as a kid. The song is about occupation and soldiering throughout history. It’s like throwing rocks versus battling guns. The lyrics can apply to conflicts worldwide. At its core, it’s an anti-war, anti-fascist song.
