VICE first spoke to New Zealand thrash metal trio Alien Weaponry when the then 14- and 16-year-olds had clear plans for world domination. Fast-forward a couple of years and the Waipu locals are well on the way with their songs of historical revenge and scathing social commentary. Signed to Austrian label Napalm Records, their first album Tū debuted at the top of the New Zealand music charts, and this past summer they played Wacken Open Air, the biggest metal festival in the world.

In the documentary below, Alien Weaponry: Thrash Metal and Te Reo Māori, VICE New Zealand go behind the scenes to embed with the de Jong brothers Henry (drums) and Lewis (guitars and vocals)—and their "honorable brother," friend Ethan Trembath (bass). They road tripped to Otaramare on the shores of Lake Rotoiti where the brothers reconnect with their iwi Ngāti Pikiao and Ngāti Ruakawa. At home, at school, at work, and on stage, fans get a glimpse of the workings of a band on the rise, and their dedication to the resurgence of Te Reo Māori as it struggles for survival.

"We as Alien Weaponry want to get Māori out there to the world, in order to inspire New Zealanders to actually fight to keep the language," says Henry.

Alien Weaponry recently unleashed their brand-new music video for "Whispers" from their debut album, Tū. While previous hits "Rū Ana Te Whenua" and "Kai Tangata" have related to historic battles and injustices faced by their ancestors, "Whispers" raises much more recent incidences of conflict – the Foreshore and Seabed Act passed in 2004; and the Trans Pacific Partnership, signed in 2016.

"The government’s words are like whispers in our ears, telling us lies, to hide away our fears!"

Frontman Lewis de Jong comments: "These are just a couple of examples of the government not respecting the voices of the people, especially Māori. Even though historic wrongs have supposedly been righted with compensation, when the same thing keeps happening it’s hard to believe there has really been a change."

The spoken excerpt at the beginning of the song is part of a radio interview by well-known Radio New Zealand journalist Kim Hill with Don Brash, a former leader of two right wing political parties, and current spokesperson for a lobby group set up to advocate removal of so-called "special privileges" for Māori.

Drummer Henry de Jong: "It's kind of scary how many people share his views. They don't seem to understand that the current policies are there to help redress the imbalance that was caused after over a hundred years of colonization. During that time, millions of acres of Māori land were stolen, they were excluded from voting and children were punished for speaking Māori in schools, and that's just the tip of the iceberg. That sort of thing can't be fixed with compensation alone - it takes time and goodwill from both sides."

Alien Weaponry's debut album Tu was released on June 1st through Napalm Records.

Tracklisting:

"Whaikorero"
"Ru Ana Te Whenua"
"Holding My Breath"
"Raupatu"
"Kai Tangata"
"Rage - It Takes Over Again"
"The Things That You Know" (Bonus Track)
"Whispers"
"PC Bro"
"Urutaa"
"Nobody Here"
"Te Ara"
"Hypocrite" (Bonus Track)

"Holding My Breath" video:

Lineup:

Vocals, Guitars: Lewis de Jong
Drums: Henry de Jong
Bass: Ethan Trembath