INTERVIEW: IN CONVERSATION WITH ALIEN WEAPONRY
Interview by Cecilia Pattison-LeviAlien Weaponry are in Portugal but are preparing to return to Australia this March to support the thrash metal legends Anthrax. The New Zealand band have just released their own 2025 album ‘Te Rā’ and have been touring the globe. They are stepping into Anthrax’s touring schedule here after last playing in 2019 tour hardened, road tested, and ready to bring the heavy Māori sounds to Australian audiences.
Supporting legacy acts like Anthrax means you have roughly thirty minutes to win over a room that may not yet be yours.
“We only have a short time to win people over,” stated bassist Tūranga Morgan-Edmonds. “When you’re opening for a band and you’re trying to get your message across to the crowd. We know that the mosh pits in Australia are pretty wild so we have a setlist we’re currently working with that hopefully crowds of metal fans will love. We need to pump as much energy into the crowd and onto the stage as possible in a short time”.
Alien Weaponry have refined that formula.
“We are playing a mix of tracks from ‘Te Rā’ in English and Māori,” explained vocalist and guitarist Lewis De Jong. “We take a lot of inspiration from the traditional Māori methods of performance and tonal musical structures. It’s trying to attain the sound of the pre-colonial Māori music. We also get it checked before we perform or record it, so we are getting the language and culture meaning right”.
Alien Weaponry certainly have that sound down right with their unique blend of instrumentation and lyrics. The songs like ‘Blinded’, ‘Rū Ana’, ‘1000 Friends’ and ‘Kai Tangata’ along with newer tracks from ‘Te Rā’ including ‘Mau Moko’ and ‘Taniwha’ demonstrate their love of culture and country as they take heavy metal forward in a new way.
“We are itching to get home and start doing some writing,” said Lewis De Jong. “Touring is great, but I think we are ready to have a creative outlet. We need to get back and think about writing our fourth album”.
Alien Weaponry are currently wrapping a European tour.
“Today is Friday and we are in Portugal,” quipped Tūranga Morgan-Edmonds. “The crowds here really love to sing. Europe has such a deep connection and passion for metal music. Each place is different like in Sweden – they are moshing pit crazy. Here in Spain and Portugal - it’s all about the singing. The crowds here have really been accepting of our different culture”.
“But we can’t wait to play at home and in Australia. It will be special,” said Lewis De Jong. “Those Anthrax shows are going to be a great,” they both agreed. “We toured with Anthrax back in 2019 over here in Europe, so it’ll be nice to reconnect with them and show them and the Australian crowds that we’ve actually improved as a band. It’s going to be fun. We have worked hard with tours in the US with Avatar and with Kerry King. We had to learn to adapt and engage with fans. So, we are ready”.
Alien Weaponry will be right there with Anthrax:
“We promise to deliver a high energy set, and we won’t waste a second,” they stated. “We can’t wait to give crowds a taste of our music and Māori ancestry”.
It will be that multi-cultural drive and flexibility that will have Alien Weaponry as the ones to watch when they step onto Australian stages in March.
Dates and tickets are on sale now from Live Nation:
Monday, 23 March – Brisbane - Fortitude Valley Music Hall
Wednesday, 25 March - Adelaide - Hindley Street Music Hall
Thursday 26 March – Melbourne - Festival Hall
Saturday 28 March – Sydney - Enmore Theatre
