Aotearoa metal giants Alien Weaponry are back with their third album, Te Rā, set for release on March 28. The trio promises their most “massive-sounding” offering yet.
Produced by Josh Wilbur (Lamb of God, Gojira, Megadeth) and featuring a guest vocal appearance from Randy Blythe of Lamb of God, Te Rā is described as a “blend of groove, nu, math, and thrash metal.” The album aims to celebrate and uphold the rich legacies of Māori and other communities within Aotearoa.
The band has also released a new track, “Mau Moko”, which honours Tā moko and speaks to maintaining traditions that clash with dominant cultural norms.
Lyricist and bassist Tūranga Porowini Morgan-Edmonds shares, “Māori have a rich history of marking traditions that were nearly lost during colonisation. These traditions are currently in the process of a much needed cultural revival, and I was inspired by that. I wanted the lyrics to remind people that moko is, and always will be, a part of who we are.
“With the song’s video, we wanted to show the darker side of the history of moko and how the head trade played a part in the near extinction of the tradition. We fought through it and continue to fight for its revival still today!”
Frontman and guitarist Lewis Raharuhi de Jong adds,”We really stepped it up this time, as we understood that this album had to go further. We went through a lot of songs and scrapped entire sections of songs. We kept working them and working them until we got them right. Then, with the way we were pushing ourselves musically, I knew it was important to challenge myself lyrically as well.
“This time I delved into difficult emotional places and mental states. There’s a lot of existential dread running through the album, and I tried to find the right words to describe the indescribable.”
On the live front, Alien Weaponry will hit the road for a nationwide tour in March, joined by fellow heavyweights Shepherds Reign (see full dates here).
Alien Weaponry’s “Mau Moko” is out now. Pre-order/pre-save Te Rā here.
