Te Rā

Aotearoa New Zealand trio Alien Weaponry continue to honor Māori culture and lament the current state of the world on their third album of diverse, textured metal. The hammering single “Mau Moko” is inspired by traditional Māori tattoo art (tā moko) and how the practice nearly vanished due to colonization. That and many other tracks see vocalist/guitarist Lewis Raharuhi de Jong sing in te reo Māori, while fewer than half are delivered in English. “Blackened Sky” features radio presenter Tūwhenuaroa Natanahira contributing ominous warnings about global warfare, while Lamb of God singer Randy Blythe guests on the loud-quiet-loud stunner “Taniwha,” named after a water monster from Māori legend. Alien Weaponry also takes aim at more current concerns, railing against the siloed nature of social media in “1000 Friends.” Produced, mixed, and mastered by American multihyphenate Josh Wilbur (Korn, Megadeth), Te Rā broadens and deepens the scope of the band’s volatile sound. de Jong has admitted to tapping into “difficult emotional places and mental states” while writing the album’s lyrics, but the songs’ collective sense of catharsis makes for a rewarding listen in the end.