Alien weaponry brave words9/12/2023 ![]() This is not a metal band writing powerful songs about battles or Valhalla AW’s material is often rooted directly in historical events and thus its effect on the Māori people. Writing in their indigenous language ( Te Reo Māori) and interspersing lyrics with English content, Alien Weaponry’s engagement with the subject matter is angled much more towards expositional and educational means than on entertainment. The real MāoriĪs with their Tū record, Tangaroa explores themes and stories directly tied into the band’s Māori heritage. Groove has always been an enormous part of AW’s sound - if the band fit anywhere within the wider heavy metal spectrum it almost certainly comes within that fertile ground of late-90s groove metal - but on Tangaroa, the delivery is more direct and instant, perhaps a reflection of their experiences playing to international audiences. Even so, Tangaroa feels like a more concise, well-measured version of the band’s initial formula, affording themselves more space in the songwriting to allow the grooves to truly take hold and breathe.Īlien Weaponry lead singer and guitarist Lewis de Jong. But three years on, how do the band cope with the weight of expectation surrounding their second record Tangaroa? Practice makes perfectĪs a concept, Alien Weaponry never particularly sounded uncertain of their capabilities, nor the message they were trying to spread on Tū. Haka chants, tribal beats, and the usage of traditional instruments blurred the boundaries between folk and wider heavy metal in a way that affirmed metal’s wider global cultural influence, its capability for giving musicians means of self-expression that could be individualistic but connect with international audiences. Much as Sepultura did with Roots some 20 years before them, Alien Weaponry built from a foundation of heavy metal tropes and aesthetics whilst utilizing sounds and flourishes derived from their upbringing and identity. “Alien Weaponry is not peddling gimmicks for show - Tangaroa is a straight-ahead thrash thumper that can go punch-for-punch with the bands breaking through into the metal mainstream.” ![]() The band consists of singer and guitarist Lewis de Jong, drummer Henry de Jong, and bassist Tūranga-Morgan-Edmonds - their debut record Tū being a bold statement of personal and cultural identity centered around the trio’s heritage in New Zealand’s Māori culture. ![]() SeptemWhen Alien Weaponry emerged in 2018 they represented an immensely exciting new prospect in heavy metal. ![]()
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