New Zealand Groove Metal Trio ALIEN WEAPONRY Takes Aim at Social Media on New Single “1000 Friends”

19th February 2025 0 By Jon Deaux

New Zealand modern groove metal trio ALIEN WEAPONRY recently announced their heaviest, most powerful and mature offering to date, Te Rā, out March 28, 2025 via Napalm Records. In the hands of veteran producer/mixer Josh Wilbur (Lamb Of God, Gojira, Megadeth) and featuring a guest vocal appearance from longtime ALIEN WEAPONRY champion Randy Blythe of Lamb Of God, Te Rā’s gnashing blend of groove, nu, math and thrash metal shines with anthemic choruses and refreshed technical skill.

Today, following the release of the album’s acclaimed first single, “Mau Moko” – a track Revolver, Metal Hammer, Heavy Consequence and others dubbed as one of the best new metal tracks upon release – the band returns again with second single, “1000 Friends”. Warning of the looming societal division and hidden dangers created by social media dependency, the track premieres alongside a brand new music video.

Frontman Lewis Raharuhi de Jong says about “1000 Friends”:
“‘1000 Friends’ encapsulates the shifting way we socialize today, and the impact it has on the human psyche. We can often feel disconnected from the outside world. The human mind wasn’t built to comprehend the world we are currently living in.”

ALIEN WEAPONRY have solidified themselves as one of the greatest young metal bands of their generation with renewed musical tenacity and crucial messaging. Since releasing their acclaimed debut Tū (2018), the band have been lauded for their kinetic presence and sound, as well as their vital blend of culturally profound lyricism in both English and te reo Māori, the indigenous language of New Zealand.

With their third full-length album, ALIEN WEAPONRY expands on their hallmark messages of cultural, societal, and environmental resilience while delivering their most massive-sounding, focused musical output ever. Te Rā is a bold, unwavering cry for a future in which we can all take part in the legacy of people like the Māori and others all around us – people who, if they aren’t seen, most certainly need to be heard! Taken as a whole, Te Rā grapples 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.

On Te 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 aforementioned guest vocal from Randy Blythe. Lyrically, there’s a noticeable tilt towards despondency, hopelessness, and frustration on Te Rā. While bassist Tūranga Porowini Morgan-Edmonds’ lyrics in Māori on songs like “Tama-nui-te-rā” and “Ponaturi” draw from the themes of history, battle lore and mysticism that made the first two albums so rich, frontman/guitarist Lewis 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”, Lewis addresses universal woes like the looming threat of World War III and the damaging effects of social media. On album closer “Te Kore”, Tūranga dives into primordial nothingness at the root of the Māori origin story, while on “Mau Moko”, he finds the middle ground between these perspectives. As the lyrics honor the traditional Māori practice of face tattooing, they also delve into the social costs of maintaining customs that are at-odds with dominant cultural norms.

Te Rā track listing:
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 KoreTe Rā will 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 WEAPONRY are currently making waves in North America, on tour with metal icon Kerry King! After the tour, the band will headline a home country run of New Zealand. See below for all currently confirmed tour dates.Remaining dates – ALIEN WEAPONRY supporting Kerry King in North America:
w/ special guests Municipal Waste
02/19/25: Mesa, AZ @ Nile Theater
02/21/25: Los Angeles, CA @ The Fonda
02/22/25: Las Vegas, NV @ HOB Vegas

ALIEN WEAPONRY Headlining New Zealand:
03/14/25: Kirikiriroa (Hamilton, NZ) @ Factory
03/15/25: Te Whanganui-a-Tara (Wellington, NZ) @ Jim Beam Homegrown
03/20/25: Ngāmotu (New Plymouth, NZ) @ TSB Showplace
03/21/25: Tāmaki Makaurau (Auckland, NZ) @ Powerstation
03/22/25: Ōtautahi (Christchurch, NZ) @ James Hay Theatre
03/23/25: Tāhuna (Queenstown, NZ) @ AJ Hackett Kawarau Bungy Centre

ALIEN WEAPONRY is:
Henry Te Reiwhati de Jong – Drums, Backing vocals
Lewis Raharuhi de Jong – Guitars, Lead vocals
Tūranga Porowini Morgan-Edmonds – Bass, Backing vocals