New Zealand’s heavy music torchbearers Alien Weaponry just unleashed their fiercest offering yet ‘Taniwha’, a crushing new track featuring none other than Lamb of God frontman Randy Blythe. Pulled from their latest full-length Te Rā, the song channels deep ancestral power with a modern metal snarl.
In Māori mythology, a taniwha is a guardian spirit part protector, part punisher. The kind of being that lurks beneath rivers or seas, ready to strike when injustice surfaces. That primal energy bleeds into every second of this track, built on slabs of groove laced riffage and war cry vocals in both te reo Māori and English.
Enter Blythe, delivering a snarling guest spot and an eerie spoken word bridge that drips with ominous tension. It’s the kind of team up that doesn’t feel tacked on, Blythe’s presence adds genuine weight to an already crushing song. “Lamb of God played a huge role in shaping us,” the band shared. “Collaborating with Randy is a dream come true for our teenage selves.”
Produced by Josh Wilbur (Gojira, Megadeth), Te Rā is Alien Weaponry’s most potent statement to date, melding history, identity, and rage into a sound that doesn’t flinch. ‘Taniwha’ stands tall even within that context, a reminder that the band’s strength lies not just in their riffs, but in their roots.
Alien Weaponry aren’t just repping Aotearoa, they’re rewriting what modern metal can look like when cultural tradition and modern aggression collide.
If you’re sleeping on these guys, now’s the time to wake up. ‘Taniwha’ isn’t just a track. It’s a f**king reckoning.
‘Taniwha’ is streaming now. ‘Te Rā’ is out via Napalm Records: https://lnk.to/AlienWeaponry-TeRa
Te Rā – Tracklist:
- ‘Crown’
- ‘Mau Moko’
- ‘1000 Friends’
- ‘Hanging by a Thread’
- ‘Tama-nui-te-rā’
- ‘Myself to Blame’
- ‘Taniwha’ (feat. Randy Blythe)
- ‘Blackened Sky’
- ‘Te Riri o Tāwhirimātea’
- ‘Ponaturi’
- ‘Te Kore’
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