Jan. 15 — More than three years after the release of its then latest album, Tangaroa, Alien Weaponry is set to release the album’s follow-up.
The band announced through a news release Wednesday, it is scheduled to unveil its new album, Te Ra March 28 through Napalm Records. In anticipation of its release, the band premiered the record’s lead single, ‘Mau Moko’ and the song’s companion video.
The musical arrangement featured in Alien Weaponry’s new single continues to bear some of the comparison to works from Soulfly that are also prevalent on the band’s then latest album. At the same time, the arrangement also shows a certain growth from the trio, and that balance lends itself easily to engagement and entertainment for audiences.
Bassist Turanga Porowini Morgan-Edmonds discussed the song’s lyrical theme and that theme’s tie to the song’s video in a prepared statement.
“Māori have a rich history of marking traditions that were nearly lost during colonization,” Morgan-Edmonds said. “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!”
The video in question features a Maori woman reclaiming the head of one of her tribe’s people alongside the band performing its new single. The presentation is a unique presentation that is certain to engage audiences in its own right.
In related news, Alien Weaponry launched a tour alongside Kerry King Wednesday in San Francisco, CA in support of its new album. The tour is scheduled to run through Feb. 14 in Austin, TX. Following that run, a headlining run across its home nation of New Zealand is scheduled to launch March 14 in Hamilton, New Zealand. That run is currently scheduled to run through March 23 in Queenstown, New Zealand.
The band’s current tour schedule is noted below along with the track listing for Te Ra.
ALIEN WEAPONRY supporting Kerry King in North America:
w/ special guests Municipal Waste
01/15/25: San Francisco, CA @ The Regency Ballroom
01/17/25: Spokane, WA @ Spokane Live Casino
01/18/25: Seattle, WA @ Showbox SoDo
01/29/25: Portland, OR @ Roseland Theater
01/20/25: Vancouver, BC @ Commodore Ballroom
01/22/25: Calgary, AB @ The Palace Theatre
01/23/25: Edmonton, AB @ Midway Music Hall
01/25/25: Winnipeg, MB @ Burton Cummings Theatre
01/26/25: Minneapolis, MN @ The Fillmore
01/28/25: Milwaukee, WI @ The Rave
01/30/25: Detroit, MI @ The Majestic Theater
01/31/25: Cleveland, OH @ House of Blues
02/01/25: Toronto, ON @ Danforth Music Hall
02/02/25: Montreal, QC @ L’Olympia
02/04/25: Boston, MA @ Royale
02/05/25: Philadelphia, PA @ Theatre of the Living Arts
02/07/25: New York, NY @ Irving Plaza
02/08/25: Baltimore, MD @ Baltimore Soundstage
02/10/25: Atlanta, GA @ Buckhead Theatre
02/11/25: St. Petersburg, FL @ Jannus Live
02/13/25: Houston, TX @ House of Blues
02/14/25: Austin, TX @ Emo’s
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
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 Kore
Te 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
More information on Alien Weaponry’s forthcoming album and tour is available along with all of the band’s latest news at:
Website: https://alienweaponry.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AlienWeaponry
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AlienWeaponry
