1. Alien Weaponry – Tū

Interesting to see that next to MØL on number 2 also the number 1 spot in my top 10 list is taken by a debut album. We travel to the complete other side of the world now, though. Welcome to Waipu, New Zealand! We actually also leave behind all references to other genres in my top 10. It’s time for some groovy thrash! The number one album in the list is a bit of an odd ball, but it’s simply because this band has done everything right in my book. Good hooks and captivating grooves? Hell, yes. Authenticity with the right attitude? Yes, thank you. Ow and wait, you haven’t heard the best part yet. It is written and performed by two sixteen and one eighteen year old. I present you: Alien Weaponry.

The band consists of brothers Lewis (guitar & vocals) and Henry de Jong (drums), and Ethan Trembath (bass) who have been playing together since they were eight and ten years old. So you could say Tū had quite some years in the making. All three members have Māori ancestry and several of their songs are written in their native language ‘te reo Māori’. You know, that language that goes together with the powerful haka ceremonial dance? And I hear you thinking, last year we were wondering “What hasn’t been done before in metal ?” and Zeal & Ardor showed up with its gospel metal. Now Alien Weaponry unleash ‘haka metal’ upon the world and everyone thinks “Why did no one ever thought of this before?!“. The force and power of the haka performance fits the brutality and attitude of metal perfectly! Admitted, the real breakthrough for Alien Weaponry came when Napalm Records was clever enough to take the young band under its wings and showcase it to the world with cinematic videos that really get your attention.

However, there is more going on in my opinion. The lads don’t just sing in their native language because ‘it hadn’t been done before’. If you dig a little deeper on the internet you’ll find some documentaries in which the band talks about their approach and philosophy. It is interesting to see the band growing from young kids in 2015, on the road in 2016 (documentaries they released themselves), to a local and worldwide phenomenon interviewed by Vice and Noisy in 2018. You’ll learn that the band wants to keep the Māori culture and language alive and therefore writes songs about historical events. Like Raupatu about land confiscations by the colonial government or Kai Tangata about the arrival of Christianity and foreign arms (alien weaponry, get it?) to the shores of New Zealand. If you wonder if it’s all a gimmick, than have a look at very personal Rū Ana te Whenua that tells the story of the battle at Pukehinahina (Gate Pa) in 1864 where the Lewis brothers’ great great great grandfather, Te Ahoaho, fought and died. At the same time they have songs that are metaphors for things going horrible wrong in this world today. For example, Urutaa  charges against misunderstandings between people because of a lack of understanding (and the willingness to do something about it). Or take the songs PC Bro and Nobody Here that deal about social media addictions so many of us suffer from and the fact it is purposefully designed to enslave us. Not your average lyrics for a teenage thrash band, right?

Another thing you’ll learn from the short documentaries on the band is that they not only put effort in the message behind the songs, but also how it is delivered and performed on stage. And again, here you can see this albums has been 7 years in the making. All songs make room for parts to shout and sing along, to stomp and bang your head or lose yourself in a frantic mosh pit. Gradually building tension, breaking it down again before unleashing hell. My hope for them is to never change this authentic attitude and approach to making music. Let them take their time to keep delivering meaningful and grooving songs like on this debut record and they might just be the future of metal.

I had the chance to catch these young bulls live two times this year. Did they also make it to my top 3 list of live shows of 2018? Find out on the final page!