Alien Weaponry band members Henry Te Reiwhati De Jong (Left), Lewis De Jong (centre) and Ethan Trembath. / Source - File.
Te Reo Māori metal band, Alien Weaponry have recently returned home from their latest tour in Europe. Meeting exclusively with Te Ao News - the group expressed how their unique blend of reo and metal kept European headbangers banging.
Bass player, Ethan Trembath (Ngāti Pākehā) explained some of the unique reactions their music has caused.
“It's been overwhelmingly positive for the most part, we get the odd guy having a go at us for being white,” says Trembath.
Lewis Dejong (Ngāti Pikiao) adds - “Usually not from Māori though, usually from white people insulting us for being white which is slightly confusing."
Being home in Waipū for less than 2 months, the band is already preparing for their second album.
“We've been experimenting with mōteatea, a little bit as well with this most recent song. We've always been into harmonizing but mōteatea with the droning - it matches really well.”
“We are definitely going with that same Te Reo Maori kind of haka, metal mix. We are changing it up a little bit musically but I think there's a lot to be done there, we haven't scratched the surface,” says Dummer, Henry Te Reiwhati De Jong (Ngāti Pikiao).
Despite the occasional detractors, the band will carry on, riding the wave of successes they created, by infusing heavy metal, with te reo, me ōna tīkanga.