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Posted on3 weeks ago
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This Friday, 28th March, New Zealand modern groove metal trioALIEN WEAPONRYwill release their heaviest, most powerful and mature offering to date,Te Rā, viaNapalm Records.
Today, in celebration of this week’s release, the band has unleashed one of the album’s most aggressive, death-metal leaning offerings, ‘Taniwha’, featuring a raw, heavy-hitting contribution from longtime supporter and metal iconRandy BlytheofLamb Of God.
Take a listen to the new track now – a special bonus listen two days in advance of the album’s drop – and see below for insight into the track’s inspirations. The new anthem follows acclaimed latest singles ‘Mau Moko‘ (“…top-notch technical thrash metal…” – Heavy Consequence) and ‘1000 Friends‘ (“a driving, riff forward affair that makes it super easy to bang your head to” – MetalSucks).
Watch below.
Of the new single,ALIEN WEAPONRYcomment:“Lamb of Godplayed a significant role in makingAlien Weaponrywhat it is today and this collaboration withRandy Blythefeels like one of those ‘pinch yourself’ moments that our teenage selves would never believe possible.Randy‘s lyricism and vocal expertise was an amazing addition to this song and we are beyond stoked to share this song/milestone with the world.”
Pre-orderTe Rāhere:https://lnk.to/AlienWeaponry-TeRa/napalmrecords
Alien Weaponryhave solidified themselves as one of the greatest young metal bands of their generation with renewed musical tenacity and crucial messaging.Te Rāis a bold, unwavering cry for a future in which we can all take part in the legacy of peoples like the Māori and others all around us – people who, if they aren’t seen, most certainly need to be heard.
With their third full-length album,Alien Weaponryexpand on their hallmark messages of cultural, societal and environmental resilience while delivering their most massive-sounding, focused musical output ever. In the hands of veteran producer/mixerJosh Wilbur(Lamb OfGod,Gojira,Megadeth) and featuring a guest vocal appearance from longtimeAlien WeaponrychampionRandy BlytheofLamb Of God,Te Rā‘s gnashing blend of groove, nu, math and thrash metal shines with anthemic choruses and refreshed technical skill.
OnTe Rā, listeners can hear the band doubling-down on the aggression in the verses before applying temperance, especially in the case of ‘Taniwha’, a death metal-leaning banger featuring the particularly raw guest vocal fromRandy Blythe. Lyrically, there’s a noticeable tilt towards despondency, hopelessness, and frustration onTe Rā. While bassistTūranga Porowini Morgan-Edmonds‘ lyrics in Māori on songs like‘Tama-nui-te-rā’andPonaturi’draw from the themes of history, battle lore and mysticism that made the first two albums so rich, frontman/guitaristLewis Raharuhi de Jong‘s English-language lyrics illustrate the impact when culture collides with disenfranchisement day to day.
‘Crown’and ‘Hanging by a Thread’take us into the headspace where struggle pushes people to the brink of desperation, while on‘Blackened Sky’and ‘1000 Friends’,Lewisaddresses universal woes like the looming threat of World War III and the damaging effects of social media. On album closer ‘Te Kore’,Tūrangadives into primordial nothingness at the root of the Māori origin story, while on ‘Mau Moko’, he finds the middle ground between these perspectives. Taken as a whole,Te Rāgrapples with what it’s like to be caught in the pull of divergent cultures – not just for the descendants of colonized people, but for all of us.
Te Rātracklisting:
1. Crown
2.Mau Moko
3.1000 Friends
4. Hanging by a Thread
5. Tama-nui-te-rā
6. Myself to Blame
7.Taniwha(feat. Randy Blythe)
8. Blackened Sky
9. Te Riri o Tāwhirimātea
10. Ponaturi
11. Te Kore
Te Rāwill be available in the following formats:
– 1-LP Deluxe Gatefold Splatter Vinyl w/ 20” Booklet, Patch, Slipmat –Napalm mail order only, limited to 300
– 1-LP Gatefold Marbled Vinyl –Napalm mail order only, limited to 300
– 1-LP Gatefold Black Vinyl
– 1-CD Digisleeve
– Digital Album
Alien Weaponryare:
Henry Te Reiwhati de Jong – Drums, Backing vocals
Lewis Raharuhi de Jong – Guitars, Lead vocals
Tūranga Porowini Morgan-Edmonds – Backing vocals & guitar
Alien Weaponryonline:
WEBSITE
FACEBOOK
INSTAGRAM
NAPALM RECORDS
