Alien Weaponry - Te Rā (Album Review)

Alien Weaponry - Te Rā
‍Released: March 28, 2025

LineUp

Lewis Raharuhi de Jong // Guitar, Vocals
Henry Te Reiwhati de Jong // Drums
Tūranga Porowini Morgan-Edmonds // Bass

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New Zealand groove metal trio Alien Weaponry come with much critical acclaim for their combination of djent, thrash and rhythmic grooves. The fact they sing in both English and te reo Māori gives them a distinct sound. Their third album, Te Rā, finds them trying to balance their established voice and evolving their style in a way that might see them take a leap up festival bills worldwide.

‍Te Rā starts with a bang, thanks to the thrash-fest, hooky ‘Crown’. It’s got a thick sound that sounds more than just three guys, thanks to some great production from Josh Wilbur, and vocal layering from the full trio. Lyrically it captures the band’s thoughts on the culture war designed to “weigh us down”. It’s backed up by first single ‘Mau Moko’, the native tongue verses sound menacing with some slick guitar leads. They sing about Toi Moko, the preserved heads of Māori ancestors, who were taken and traded as trophies during the 1800s. It’s this perspective that makes Alien Weaponry so appealing. There’s few bands capturing their local experience and history on a global scale, let alone many that can play and communicate like this. 

The album’s defining feature is the shift towards a cleaner vocal style with songs designed to encourage singing along. That description might cause concern for some fans but the band have always used clean vocals at times, in both English and te reo Māori. The reality is second single ‘1000 Friends’ is a banger that’s accessible to fans who caught them supporting Guns 'N Roses in 2022. It’s still heavy, arguably heavier than ‘Blinded’ from Tangaroa, but it’s also less identifiable as Alien Weaponry. The lyrics depict the lonely reality of social media, not exactly a transgressive view. ‘Myself to Blame’ is another song in a similar mould, though it’s slower, using doom riffs and groove to great effect. It’s actually quite epic with Lewis Raharuhi de Jong’s voice sounding powerful. These two tunes are spaced out a bit so it adds variety to the album’s tracklisting. 

At their best Alien Weaponry uses rhythms to stretch their groove approach in progressive directions. Combined with a gang vocal style that resembles the traditional Haka chants, it’s a mix that is utterly unique. The result is thumping headbanging tunes like ‘Hanging By A Thread’ and ‘Tama-nui-te-rā’. It might musically resemble Gojira but it has its own character. Randy Blythe (Lamb of God) has guested with everyone but his endorsement still means something and his rasp gives ‘Taniwha’ a dark mood that suits the album’s air of hopelessness. The world is fucked but Alien Weaponry are ready to fight for it. They go on the attack against the looming threat of World War, on the thundering ‘Blackened Sky’, showing they can look beyond their borders too. 

The closing trio of songs continue the legacy of the first two albums by focusing on stories, both historical and mythological, that represent their nation’s culture. ‘Te Riri o Tāwhirimātea’ leans into death metal more than usual, while ‘Ponaturi’ has some nu-metal bounce. The song’s slow, melodic Māori verses set up the violent, threatening chorus. ‘Te Kore’ is something different, a slow burning masterclass in chug and percussion that describes the nothingness in the Māori origin story. Surely it will be accompanied by a dance when it’s played live, it’s just such a visual song that needs chest slapping and foot stomping. 

Any sense that Alien Weaponry might sell out should be put to rest. There’s certainly some top shelf melody for new fans to grasp, but Te Rā remains firmly seeded in their Māori & New Zealand roots. It’s powerful musically and emotionally complex - rewarding repeat listens.

Rating: 8.5/10
‍Te Rā is out March 28, 2025 via Napalm Records. Pre order here. 
Review by KJ Draven (Instagram & Threads)