Alien Weaponry shore up their world-conquering credentials
IN THE 18 months that followed the release of debut album Tu– , Zealand’s Alien Weaponry became arguably the hottest new metal band on the planet. Infusing their M āori roots with huge grooves and hooks was original and inspired – made even more impressive when everyone found out the members had an average age of 18 – and, when they took their live show across the world, people discovered they were really bloody good at that as well. Anticipation, therefore, is understandably high for their sophomore release, but after such a meteoric rise and a recent line-up change, it’s understandable to worry whether the young trio have managed to take everything in their stride
Thankfully, Tangaroa is the natural successor to Tu– . It’s a more mature release that sees Alien Weaponry both consolidate their sound and progress as an outfit. The factors that made them so beloved are still there. The album is stuffed with riffs and stories about their ancestors sung in their native M āori tongue, such as opening number Tītokowaru, but there’s more in terms of their personal lives and more recent, cultural history delivered with a boat-load of spite and anger. Ahi K speaks out about the colonisation of New Zealand by Britain, for example, whilst Crooked Monsters rages against abusers that escape justice.