Alien Weaponry Launch New Music Video Īhenga
In 2021, New Zealand's global metal frontrunners Alien Weaponry released their second full-length album, Tangaroa (Napalm Records) - a record immersed in important historical accounts and cultural heritage of the Māori people. The trio's role in uniquely spreading vital tales of their culture to an international audience resulted in recent accolades - last year and for the second time, the band were awarded one of the most significant and prestigious awards in New Zealand’s music industry, the Aotearoa Music Award for Te Kaipuoro Rakapioi Toa (Best Rock Artist).
Today, Alien Weaponry continue to share their history with the release of an artistic new music video for Tangaroa album track 'Īhenga'. The video tells the story of Īhenga - perhaps the greatest explorer of the Te Arawa people - and the nephew of one of the de Jong brothers’ ancestors, Kahumatamomoe.
The singing style on the track is known as mōteatea - an ancient form of poetry or chant sometimes used to convey who you are and where you come from by reciting your landmarks.
Check out the video here!
The band comment on the video:
"When the Te Arawa people first came to Aotearoa (New Zealand) from Hawaiki (greater Tahitian Island group), they set about exploring the new land. Īhenga traveled throughout the North Island of Aotearoa and named many places that still have these names today."
Alien Weaponry won over fans and critics alike with their latest album, Tangaroa. The album coalesces the band’s growing maturation with an undisturbed songwriting process, resulting in their most inspired, honest and informed material yet. In addition to lyrics written in te reo Māori, many Tangaroa tracks feature traditional instruments, called taonga puoro, providing the tracks their own warrior-like attitude. While Alien Weaponry sourced inspiration from their culture and environmental surroundings while writing most of Tangaroa, the band also looked inward - drawing vision for other portions of the album from within. Since releasing their acclaimed debut Tū (2018), Alien Weaponry's kinetic presence and sound - combining elements of thrash and groove metal with lyrics in the native indigenous language, te reo Māori - has attracted throngs of fans and media supporters across the globe. In addition to amassing millions of cross-platform streams and YouTube views, the band has seen bounds of success at SiriusXM Liquid Metal, was recently hailed the “future of metal” by Metal Hammer and was voted by Revolver Magazine fans as “one of the bands most likely to break out in 2021”. Furthermore, in the last few years alone, Alien Weaponry has had the privilege of perform
