New Zealand-based groove metal outfit Alien Weaponry‘s third studio album, “Te Rā” is set to receive a March 28th release via Napalm Records. Paired with today’s announcement of the album is the online premiere of its first single, “Mau Moko“.
Recording sessions took place with producer/mixer Josh Wilbur (Lamb Of God, Gojira), while Lamb Of God vocalist Randy Blythe guests on the track “Taniwha“. A press release describes that track as being ‘death metal-leaning.’ Frontman/guitarist Lewis Raharuhi de Jong shared his thoughts on what the group have cooked up for this new outing, stating:
“We really stepped it up this time, as we understood that this album had to go further. 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.”
Meanwhile, bassist Turanga Porowini Morgan-Edmonds chimed in on this newly shared single from the record:
“Maori have a rich history of marking traditions that were nearly lost during colonization. These traditions are currently in the process of a much needed cultural revival, and I was inspired by that. 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!”
“Te Rā” track listing:
01 – “Crown”
02 – “Mau Moko”
03 – “1000 Friends”
04 – “Hanging By A Thread”
05 – “Tama-nui-te-ra”
06 – “Myself To Blame”
07 – “Taniwha” (feat. Randy Blythe of Lamb Of God)
08 – “Blackened Sky”
09 – “Te Riri o Tawhirimatea”
10 – “Ponaturi”
11 – “Te Kore”
Pre-orders for that record are available now through lnk.to/AlienWeaponry-TeRa.
