Interview by Kris Peters
Since releasing their acclaimed debut album Tū (2018), New Zealand metal warriors Alien Weaponry have been lauded for their kinetic presence and sound, as well as their vital blend of culturally profound lyricism in both English and te reo Māori, the indigenous language of New Zealand.
Still in their teens when that album took the world by storm and with the sudden burden of expectation thrust upon their shoulders, Alien Weaponry bunkered down, surrounding themselves with family and away from the clutches of industry people potentially looking to exploit both their talent and youth. It proved a masterstroke, with the young band following up with Tangaroa (2021) and earned them the title of 'the future of heavy metal' by Metal Hammer and led to tours around the world with the likes of Guns N' Roses, Gojira, Slayer and the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra.
But, they say, a band's third album is the most defining one of their career and that moment has come with the impending release of Te Rā (March 28).
Described as their heaviest, most powerful and mature offering to date, Alien Weaponry feel like they have returned with a point to prove. HEAVY caught up with the newest member of the band, bass player Tūranga Morgan-Edmonds, to find out more.
"I think we were definitely nervous going into the first single," he began when asked how the band are feeling about the album finally seeing the light of day. "I think the single probably had a lot more nerves surrounding it than the album itself. Because, you know, it's a new stage in the band's evolution and sound. And it's the first time I've been a part of the writing and recording process. And particularly because the first single was a song that I had written myself (laughs).
So I was sort of like, Oh, God, what if people don't like it? That's my creative input that people don't like. But then of course the song came out and the response has been awesome. Now as we slowly trickle into the album release tomorrow there's been two more singles come out and people seem to love those as well."
Talk turns to the music side of Te Rā and what sound they were trying to achieve.
"We took a step back," he measured. "Obviously, the first album was such a force onto the scene and left a strong impression on a lot of people when that came out in 2018. And the second album didn't quite land where they had wanted to. And when we went to the third album, we were sort of like, OK, what is it that we want to achieve? Are we trying to create a new sound entirely? Are we trying to create something familiar? And so what we decided on was trying to actually find a balance between the highlights of both albums, even the second one. So the second one, what people liked, of course, was the sort of move towards a more technical approach, so maybe more complication in the riffs and the writing structures. And then also a lot of people quite liked the much more traditional sounding Māori vocals, not just singing in another language, but singing in the style of that language, if that makes sense."
In the full interview, Turanga further introduced the band's upcoming third album, Te Ra, highlighting the blend of genres and the incorporation of Te Reo Māori to maintain cultural authenticity. He shared his excitement about collaborating with Randy Blythe from Lamb of God, who contributed vocals to a track after their connection on Instagram, emphasizing the influence of Lamb of God on their music. Tu reflected on the band's growth from newcomers to respected figures in the metal scene, acknowledging the challenges of touring post-pandemic.
He expressed optimism for a more extensive touring schedule following the album's release, with management actively working on overseas plans, went back to when he joined Alien Weaponry and more.
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