Album Review: Alien Weaponry - Te Rā
Reviewed by Sam Jones
Alien Weaponry have for years now been the avatars of the next generation of heavy metal, carrying that flag high and proud, embodying metal’s resilient spirit as it passes from one generation to the next. Formed in 2010 out of Auckland, New Zealand, Alien Weaponry exploded into the metal consciousness towards the end of the 2010s with their debut studio album, Tū, showcasing a band consisting of boys barely into adulthood and taking everyone by immense surprise. The band came over to the UK the same year to play Bloodstock Festival and I can personally attest to their ability; for everyone around that time Alien Weaponry were wholly refreshing, which certainly aided them in releasing their second album, Tangaroa, come 2021. One trait unique to Alien Weaponry has been their Māori influence, all three current members possess Māori heritage and many of their lyrics are even written in the Māori language. It’s rare to see a band with such a niche cultural mark embrace it so openly and no doubt we’ll see it for the third time over, for Alien Weaponry are here with Te Rā, due out March 28th once more through Napalm Records. It’s time to view Alien Weaponry not as an upcoming act, but a full-fledged force in metal, and whether Te Rā will cement that.
One advantage to the band’s more down to earth approach to heavy metal is the wondrously polished exterior this record plays with; right out of the gate the band make it abundantly clear that they’re not changing things up. Should others aspire for a dirtier soundscape they can go elsewhere, Alien Weaponry are maintaining their polished style. With that said though, just because the band continue to champion this cleaner sound it doesn’t mean their performance is wholly lacking of any meaningful impact. The production applied within merely gives us no reason not to notice every minute element the band implement. The guitar work possesses this fluidic rhythm whereby nothing throughout the production shall hinder the band conveying their songwriting towards us, yet chords strike us with great temerity and their weight feels expressly emphasised thank to the mix. Clean mixing can be greeted with begrudging acceptance however Alien Weaponry know how to use it to their advantage.
Earlier we mentioned how they incorporate the Maori language of their heritage into their lyrics. What I appreciate Alien Weaponry for, in this case, is how it hasn’t merely be included for the sake of some throwaway gimmick; it’s a legitimate part of the band’s identity and given how the Maori language has a unique bite to it, it massively heightens the intensity of their performance. It speaks of something older, prouder than contemporary language may convey and credit has to be given to these guys for speaking it so well considering their age. There are tracks where the Māori language is explicitly spoken without a word of English thrown in, and then you have tracks where you’ll get small injections of Māori infusing their sound with war cries and a thirst for battle. If there’s one thing most people know, it’s New Zealand’s pride in their culture and I adore how the band haven’t reduced its inclusion simply because we’re on album three now. Its absolutely integral to Alien Weaponry and even minimising its incorporation would disrupt the overall essence one feels when listening to them play.
Once in a while its nice to listen along to a record where you aren’t being tested or challenged to carry on, whether you’ve got the gall to proceed through a band’s record. Alien Weaponry exemplify this concept for throughout their career, and this record is also no different, they offer up a performance where you can sit back or do your daily jobs all the while simultaneously enjoying Te Rā. Part of this resides with the simplicity of songwriting that Alien Weaponry have made their own; in an era where bands are continuously seeking stranger, complex, dissonant means of showcasing songwriting, Alien Weaponry strip away everything that isn’t paramount to what they believe their sound is. Its why tuning in to them feels so second nature, revitalising a time when metal was engineered for coherence as keenly as it was for devastation. Since the band more straightforward riffs and sequences they’ll stick out in your mind far more fervently than some hyper-technical pieces this year will throw up.
It’s nice to acknowledge how the full band has the responsibility in the vocal delivery. Though there are lead vocals as helmed by guitarist Lewis Raharuhi De Jong, the rest of the band absolutely delivers in spades for to limit the vocal presence to De Jong would see Alien Weaponry’s vocal impact severely curtailed. In fact its rare to find a sustained portion of a track on record that isn’t hitting us with some kind of vocal performance; the record is sustained just as much by the vocals as it is via conventional songwriting. Whilst the vocals can become more gruff with a coarser timbre behind their cadence the primary method of vocal delivery is the clean, pure and undiluted performance that matches with Alien Weaponry’s own approach to metal. That transparent approach, enabling us to follow along easily, breaks down that barrier between record and individual all the more and even the more aggressive vocal method is hardly a challenge to interpret. Its clear by now the band aren’t going to suddenly muddy their sound nor their vocals. This is who they are and they’ve made that very clear by now.
In conclusion, Alien Weaponry, with Te Rā, have firmly established that they are not going anywhere anytime soon. With their third record the band have proven they are more than some young upstart and are ready to be taken seriously upon the world stage. Youth aside, these guys know very well how to write metal that will get people on board and their production, ease of listening, stripped back riffs etc are key to this success. The Māori heritage is here of course but its great to actively acknowledge that it isn’t used as a gimmick or, worse yet, a crutch by which the band repetitively use to support themselves. It’s a strong feature of their identity and the band ensure its impact is felt but it never feels like they need to overuse its implementation due to some lacking quality in their inherent talents. Alien Weaponry sit in an interesting position; they’re heavier than most introductory bands but not quite at the intensity found within thrash metal. The band are an ideal modern gateway band to other acts yet they themselves prove to be a quality act, projecting a soundscape wholly unique owing to their geographic origins. Te rā is another notch in Alien Weaponry’s successes. Its been a joy to see these guys grow up and evolve, and I firmly await their next release.
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