Alien Weaponry // Te Rá // Album Review

As is often the case I am behind the curve when it comes to what’s hot or trending and Alien Weaponry are no exception to my idiocy.

I have listened to their previous albums but never truly listened to them or fully appreciated what I was listening to, but that has all changed with their latest release, “Te Rá”, a barnstorming album that will make you sit up and take even more notice of the band.

“Crown” opens the album in stunning fashion, a riff-heavy beast that sets the tone for the rest of the album, with its undeniable groove and melodic chorus’ you are instantly hooked and the killer rhythm puts the track on another level. “Mau Moko” is the first of six tracks in the band’s native Maori, something primal awakens in you when you listen to a song in someone else’s native tongue; it feels heavier and more aggressive, and this certainly is the case with its crushing drum and bass beat and savage riffery as de Jong’s screaming vocals create a vision of mayhem while his clean vocals are verging on the melodic in comparison, a banger tune. “1000 Friends” has a more uptempo thrash feel to it with its hammering drum beat, sharp riffs and a thumping bass line that is near hypnotic, the switch up between the clean and screamed vocals is seamless and very metal core but excellent nonetheless.

“Hanging By A Thread” is a monster built off Edmonds’s heavy sledgehammer bass line that when combined with Henry de Jong’s drumming and Lewis de Jong’s guitar work, gives you a blistering groove-laden beauty. “Tama-Nui-Te-Rá” comes out of the traps hot with another generous dose of groove to the backdrop of Maori chants and a thumping drum beat, heavy as hell and a real standout number. “Myself To Blame” slows things right down with a brooding, crushing track, while it may be slower there is still plenty of heaviness, allowing Lewis to deliver an impressive vocal performance on one of the tracks of the album. The sense of foreboding from the intro to “Taniwha” tells you all you need to know about this song as it bursts forth with a crushing rhythmic beat that lures you in before de Jong lets rip in visceral fashion, first in English before switching to Maori which just adds to the intensity and all of this before Randy Blythe, Lamb Of God fame, puts his own inimitable touch to the track, the high point is when de Jong and Blythe trade vocals towards the end of the track over a seriously heavy groove, a killer tune.

The siren opening to “Blackened Sky” gives way to a chugging riff and thumping bass line as de Jong roars into life, a kicking drum beat underpins the track, what makes this one standout is how they move from a heavy as balls verses to melodic P.O.D. style chorus’, complete opposite ends of the spectrum which the nail perfectly. The massively intense “Te Riri o Táwhirimátea” is a whirlwind of drums, cutting riffs and a thunderous bass line that rattle the bones in your body with de Jong singing in Maori in both a screamed and clean style,  midway through the track it mellows slightly as the instrumentation becomes less intense and de Jong lays down a killer solo bringing the track back up to a rousing close. “Ponaturi” opens with a cool drum and guitar riff that has a serious groove to it before dropping down to a softly sung verse that explodes into a full on assault with de Jong channelling his inner Max Cavellera on the heavy vocals while tempering it with his melodic stylings, a brilliant track with a killer rhythm. The album closes with “Te Kore” , a short sharp gut punch that is an apt finish for a savage album.  

New Album, Te Rā, out This Friday, March 28, 2025 via Napalm Records
Pre-Order NOW

Review: Conor