Alien Weaponry Announce New Album ‘Te Rā’
Alien Weaponry return this year with their new album, Te Rā, out March 28th.
The follow up to 2021’s Tangaroa marks the band’s first with new bassist Tūranga Porowini Morgan-Edmonds, who joined after Ethan Trembath’s departure in 2020.
Their third album finds them diving into Maori history while exploring the anxiety and fear that comes with war, social media damage, and decline.
“We really stepped it up this time, as we understood that this album had to go further,” says singer/guitarist Lewis Raharuhi de Jong. “We went through a lot of songs and scrapped entire sections of songs. We kept working them and working them until we got them right. Then, with the way we were pushing ourselves musically, I knew it was important to challenge myself lyrically as well. This time I delved into difficult emotional places and mental states. There’s a lot of existential dread running through the album, and I tried to find the right words to describe the indescribable.”
To tease the upcoming record, the band shared new single “Mau Moko.” Watch the video below.
“Māori have a rich history of marking traditions that were nearly lost during colonisation. These traditions are currently in the process of a much-needed cultural revival, and I was inspired by that,” said Morgan-Edmonds.
“I wanted the lyrics to remind people that moko is, and always will be, a part of who we are. With the song’s video, we wanted to show the darker side of the history of moko and how the head trade played a part in the near extinction of the tradition. We fought through it and continue to fight for its revival still today!”
Pre-order Te Rā here.
Alien Weaponry recently kicked off their North American tour with Slayer’s Kerry King. Following this, they’ll play a string of headline shows in New Zealand. See all their dates here.
Tracklisting:
01. Crown
02. Mau Moko
03. 1000 Friends
04. Hanging by a Thread
05. Tama-nui-te-rā
06. Myself to Blame
07. Taniwha (feat. Randy Blythe)
08. Blackened Sky
09. Te Riri o Tāwhirimātea
10. Ponaturi
11. Te Kore
