New Zealand's global metal frontrunners, ALIEN WEAPONRY, recently released their sophomore full-length album, Tangaroa. This important album — which continues the band's preservation and amplification of the history and culture of their home country's indigenous Māori people — followed the trio's breakout 2018 album, Tū. Its debut led to #1 chart entries and massive critical acclaim, in addition to award nominations and wins. But how did they get there, what has life been like behind the scenes for this fast-rising phenomenon up until now, and where are they headed next?
"Alien Weaponry: Kua Tupu Te Ara", a new documentary film from director Kent Belcher and producer Nigel McCulloch, provides an intimate deep dive beneath the surface of ALIEN WEAPONRY's past, present and fast-approaching future. The film features appearances from metal elite like Lamb of God's Randy Blythe, Testament's Chuck Billy and Gojira's Joe and Mario Duplantier.
Befitting a culturally vital band like ALIEN WEAPONRY, the 97-minute documentary will see its global premiere at the world-renowned Tribeca Film Festival in New York City on June 6, 2024 at the Village East Cinema (8:45PM, 181-189 2nd Avenue). The premiere will include a special Q&A with the film's director, writer/producer, and editor. The film will also be shown at various additional local theaters throughout the festival's duration. For more information on how to catch a showing or the premiere itself, click here.
ALIEN WEAPONRY says:
"We are so excited to finally share this documentary we have been working on for years with you. The film captures our journey of navigating the world of music, showing the highlights, the hardships, and everything in between."
Director Kent Belcher adds:
“After six years of traveling with, living with and filming the ALIEN WEAPONRY family, to finally be able to share that with audiences and showcase Māori culture in a vibrant and heartfelt way is just so rewarding. To have my first film as director premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival is an absolute dream come true.
What makes our film is the family aspect. The ups and downs, the strains of being on the road with your family and then pulling through because you’ve all got a common goal. They’re an amazing, powerful group of people and they’ve taught me a hell of a lot. I’m so privileged to be part of this. I can’t put it into words how lucky I am to have met these people, be able to film these people and then being able to learn stuff about myself. It has honestly been the best experience of my life
"Alien Weaponry: Kua Tupu Te Ara" is an intimate portrait of the most important six years in the life of this band and, in particular, the two brothers at the band’s core — from the release of their debut album, Tū, as they take their music to the world, touring through Australasia, Europe and America. It is an insight into what impact constant touring, teenage angst and creating music has had on the boys and their family around them.
From the privileged position of being embedded with the band on the road, the film has unique access to the family, their shows and their touring. This is an exclusive view from the inside, showing a band on the rise. More importantly, this is a portrait of a normal, down-to-earth kiwi family who find themselves in extraordinary circumstances. On the one hand, they are living a life that may see Henry and Lewis realize all of their dreams, but on the other, this could be a path that could ultimately end up changing who they are entirely.
ALIEN WEAPONRY won over fans and critics alike with their latest album, Tangaroa. The album coalesces the band’s growing maturation with an undisturbed songwriting process, resulting in their most inspired, honest and informed material yet. In addition to lyrics written in te reo Māori, many Tangaroa tracks feature traditional instruments, called taonga puoro, providing the tracks their own warrior-like attitude. While ALIEN WEAPONRY sourced inspiration from their culture and environmental surroundings while writing most of Tangaroa, the band also looked inward - drawing vision for other portions of the album from within.
Since releasing their acclaimed debut Tū (2018), ALIEN WEAPONRY's kinetic presence and sound — combining elements of thrash and groove metal with lyrics in the native indigenous language, te reo Māori — has attracted throngs of fans and media supporters across the globe. In addition to amassing millions of cross-platform streams and YouTube views, the band has seen bounds of success at SiriusXM Liquid Metal, was recently hailed the “future of metal” by Metal Hammer and was voted by Revolver Magazine fans as “one of the bands most likely to break out in 2021”. The band are two-time winners of the Aotearoa Music Award for "Te Kaipuoro Rakapioi Toa" (Best Rock Artist), and have won or been nominated for many more esteemed New Zealand and international awards. In the last few years alone, ALIEN WEAPONRY has had the privilege of performing with the likes of Guns N' Roses, Gojira, Slayer, Black Label Society and more