As an art form, metal music has an uncanny disposition of being malleable enough to be adapted to any cultural mythos. Its borderless potential is underscored by the massive strides made by New Zealand-born modern groove metal upstarts Alien Weaponry, who have been making the rounds on a global scale following their landmark 2018 debut offering Tū.
The years since have seen this dynamic trio of Māori extract garner critical acclaim from prominent media outlets for their 2021 sophomore LP Tangaroa, with Metal Hammer in particular hailing them as the “future of metal”. Tours with the likes of Guns N’ Roses, Gojira, and Slayer, and even a documentary film dubbed Kua Tupu Te Ara before the close of 2024 would also be on the roster for this rising star of an outfit. Now, at the midpoint of the current decade, the sky has become the proverbial limit, and one of its most prominent occupants, the subject of their 3rd and most recent studio album Te Rā.
Per the band’s own testimony, the album derives its name from the Māori sun deity and draws lyrical inspiration from the corresponding mythology involving said god and the mythical trickster Māui, purveying their ongoing message of cultural, environmental, and societal resilience through 11 highly dynamic compositions.
The accompanying sonic content retains the highly aggressive hybrid style of groove, thrash, and metalcore elements with the band’s affinity for their culture’s unique vernacular music, but is distilled into a more accessible, anthem-oriented approach that places greater emphasis on strong melodic hooks and streamlined song structure.
The thunderous battery of drummer Henry de Jong’s kit work and the steady, bottom-heavy foundation of Turanga Morgan-Edmonds present an exercise in war-like ferocity with a modern sense of precision, allowing guitarist and lead vocalist Lewis de Jong to lay down a highly dynamic performance that all but runs the gamut of stylistic possibilities.
From the opening rush of the cruising riff monster “Crown”, it’s clear that this power trio is playing for keeps, not to mention bringing a higher level of technical and melodic flair into the equation. Along with similarly swift and busy thrashers like “1000 Friends”, “Hanging By A Thread” and “Blackened Sky”, the sound accomplished bears an uncanny resemblance to the up tempo, hook-driven handiwork of noted metalcore outfits like Killswitch Engage, Trivium and the early offerings of All That Remains, all the while still retaining a progressive bent that keeps things from getting too predictable.
The closest thing to a ballad on this album’s roster in “Myself To Blame” only serves to further accentuate this parallel with the American metalcore sound with a melancholy, almost emo-like approach that sees Lewis’ cleaner vocalizations occasional arrive at a heartfelt croon, though the overall picture remains highly aggressive and falls more along the lines of a latter day In Flames take on a quasi-ballad.
Alongside the five aforementioned anthems adorned with English lyrics are six pummeling groove metal entries in the band’s native Māori language, leaning a tad closer to their sound on previous albums but still adapted to the album’s generally anthemic aesthetic. The mid-pace ferocity of “Mau Moko” hits hard enough to trade blows with Gojira and comes chock full of plenty of forceful gang chants alongside the litany of harsh and cleaner vocalizations unleashed by Lewis while simultaneously handling all the riff work.
The chunky grooves of “Tama-nui-te-rā”, the full name of the sun god for which the album derives its title, is another key point of intrigue as it goes all in on the imagery of a Māori war dance as the attendant lore is communicated in its original language, going the heaviest of any entry on this album and again pointing to a strong Gojira influence in the instrumental department. But the song that truly brings home this album’s metallic bona fides is “Taniwha”, which puts the pedal to the proverbial metal in the riffing and general aggression department, not to mention featuring a harrowing guest vocal performance by Lamb Of God helmsman Randy Blythe.
Though only 7 years deep into their career and with so much ground left to conquer, it could be safely argued that Alien Weaponry has solidified themselves as an elite player in the modern metal scene.
The fire and fury was always there since day one, but what Te Rā brings to the table is something accessible enough to be easily digested by any metal maniac from the shores of Oceania to the coast of North America and everywhere in between, not to mention get them all singing along in a language normally reserved to a small conclave of anthropologists outside of New Zealand without missing a syllable.
Metal has always been a dish best served loud and with zero compromises, but with Alien Weaponry comes a hybrid of the familiar and the highly exotic that is guaranteed to keep the masses guessing as surely as it will keep their heads banging.
Release Date: March 28th, 2025 Record Label: Napalm Records Genre: Groove Metal/ Metalcore / Thrash Metal
Te Rā cements Alien Weaponry’s status as a formidable force in modern metal, seamlessly blending their Māori heritage with a sharpened, anthem-driven sound that balances raw aggression with melodic accessibility. This record simply proves that their cultural and musical fusion is not just a novelty but a powerful statement that demands attention
