Alien Weaponry, who hail from the small town of Waipu on the North Island, were founded in 2010 by brothers Henry (drums) and Lewis de Jong (guitar, vocals), and the trio settled into its lineup when bassist Ethan Trembath joined them in 2013. At heart, Alien Weaponry play a kind of modern thrash metal built mostly on thick, massive groove, with solos replaced by fat riffage and breakdowns. Nothing especially original, you’d say, but this is where Alien Weaponry shine and rise above the average, because they weave the influences of their Māori roots into their music. More than half of their tracks are sung in the traditional language te reo, and there’s no shortage of war cries, the so-called haka, either and the whole thing comes off as downright astounding, which the guys also prove on their brand-new studio debut Tū. We talked to the trio just a few hours before their very first European festival show.
Photo: Nina Grad
Video: Sebastijan Videc
