Alien Weaponry


Alien Weaponry set themselves a daunting task, aiming to find success as a metal band despite the genre’s smaller following within Aotearoa. What’s more, they wrote many of their songs in te reo Māori. Their career progressed quickly from winning Smokefreerockquest through to touring the world while still in their teens, not to mention a top five album at home.

At a very young age the two brothers at the centre of the band – Henry Te Reiwhati de Jong and younger brother Lewis Raharuhi de Jong (Ngāti Pikiao and Ngāti Raukawa) – began jamming together. Lewis wrote his first tune as a two-year old, singing his own melody and playing ukulele while repeating the word “raiona” (“lion”). During primary school Lewis and Henry switched between instruments for a few years before Lewis settled on guitar and Henry on drums, using an electric kit to avoid annoying the neighbours.

Tūranga Morgan-Edmonds, Alien Weaponry.
Photo credit: Shane Jones
Lewis Raharuhi de Jong in the early days of the band.
Alien Weaponry: Tūranga Morgan-Edmonds, Lewis Raharuhi de Jong, Henry Te Reiwhati de Jong.
Photo credit: Piotr Kwasnik
Alien Weaponry: Tūranga Morgan-Edmonds, Lewis Raharuhi de Jong, Henry Te Reiwhati de Jong.
Photo credit: Piotr Kwasnik
Kai Tangata (2018)
Ahi Kā (2019)
Tūranga Morgan-Edmonds
Photo credit: Shane Jones
Alien Weaponry with Kerry King from Slayer and Scott Ian from Anthrax.
Photo credit: Niel de Jong Collection
Alien Weaponry - Thrash Metal and Te Reo Māori (2018)
Alien Weaponry Level 1 tour in Christchurch
Photo credit: Shane Jones
Alien Weaponry, from left to right: Ethan Trembath, Lewis Raharuhi de Jong,Henry Te Reiwhati de Jong.
Alien Weaponry at Auckland City Limits festival, 2018. From left to right: Lewis Raharuhi de Jong, Henry Te Reiwhati de Jong, Ethan Trembath.
Photo credit: Gareth Shute
Victoria Kelly photo-bombing Alien Weaponry. 
Photo credit: Victoria Kelly Collection
Voodoo Love in 1992: Symon Edgerley, Rob King-Borrero, Victoria Kelly, Niel De Jong (father of the boys from Alien Weaponry).
Alien Weaponry with Gojira
Henry Te Reiwhati de Jong
Photo credit: Shane Jones
Alien Weaponry with Al Jourgensen from industrial metal band Ministry.
Tū - Alien Weaponry (2018); design by Barney Bewick
Blinded (2019)
Lewis Raharuhi de Jong, Alien Weaponry.
Photo credit: Shane Jones
Alien Weaponry in 2017. From left to right: Ethan Trembath, Lewis Raharuhi de Jong, Henry Te Reiwhati de Jong.
Alien Weaponry - a short documentary (2015)
Alien Weaponry on the cover of NZ Musician, Dec/Jan 2018. - Photo Maryanne Bilham
‘Urutaa’ (2016)
Trivia:

At the 2017 APRA Awards, ‘Raupatu’ was covered by taonga pūoro musicians Ariana Tikao, James Webster, Alistair Fraser, and Horomona Horo.

Members:

Henry Te Reiwhaiti de Jong - drums

Lewis Raharuhi de Jong - vocals, guitar

Tūranga Morgan-Edmonds - bass

Wyatt Channings - bass

Ethan Trembath - bass

Labels:

Napalm Records

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