Three teenagers, known as ALIEN WEAPONRY, from a tiny town in the small South Pacific nation of New Zealand have managed to capture the imaginations of people all over the world with their unique thrash metal sound and commanding live performances. This in itself is surprising, but perhaps the most unexpected element of all in their success is that many of the band’s songs are delivered in a language that is unknown to international audiences – New Zealand’s native language, Te Reo Māori.
Now, ALIEN WEAPONRY are ready to release their furious debut album “Tū” on the world. Short for “Tūmatauenga”, the Māori god of war, “Tū” also means to stand strong and proud, and to stand for something. The notion is reflected in the album artwork, which includes the tradtional moko kanohi (facial tattoos) of the Māori warrior.
Standing for something important is something the band does equally well in English or in Māori. Now, Napalm Records releases the single and video for the song “Holding My Breath” – the first single so far to be sung entirely in English. Watch it below.
The song was written by Lewis (Vocals/Guitar). In it, he talks about the anxiety of being judged and socially ostracized by peers to the point of being unable to function.
“It’s about something that actually happened to me. I felt so bad that I literally stayed in my room and couldn’t bring myself to leave the house or talk to anyone,” he says. “I wrote the song at that time, and it was one of the things that helped me work through it, so I hope it will resonate with other people going through similar things.”
