Alien Weaponry & Shepherds Reign – Powerstation: March 21, 2025
Alien Weaponry enlisted the help of fellow metallers Shepherds Reign (once again) to fill tonight’s venue, The Powerstation with t-shirts, black t-shirts, a sea of t-shirts with band names ranging from Lamb of God, to Motorhead, Pearl Jam to The D4 and even Accept! Metallers dominated as tangata of all cultures gathered to hear (blackened) mass.
Alien Weaponry, since germinating in Tamaki Makaurau (though from Waipu) in 2010, and subsequently winning the dual Smokefree Awards in 2016, have marched on their own pikorua journey, both in Aotearoa and across the globe.
2024 was dominated by the release of the Alien Weaponry: Kua Tupu Te Ara documentary (a six year labour of aroha) and an extensive European tour. Most recently they opened for Kerry King (of Slayer infamy) on an extensive North American tour (though they’ve been visiting that continent since 2019), and are currently coming to the end of their six date tour of Aotearoa with Shepherds Reign. Thus anticipation for their long awaited tuatoru album: Te Ra which is about to land, is high and the crowd (of all ages) were buzzing with anticipation.
Shepherds Reign
I last saw them opening for IDLES earlier this year, impressive in stature and delivery. With adornments – lavalava, and singing in Gagana Samoa, a richness of culture prevails onstage. But it is the culture of metal that effuses from the stage. The methodic click of the bass drum denotes a slick, detailed delivery by the five piece that engaged with the moshpit aficionados. As the twin guitarist shared lead duties, bassist Joseph Oti-George towered to almost rival singer Filiva’a James, and the two seem to feed off each other in a symbiotic manner, as the band pummelled through a seven song set.
But let’s be clear, Shepherds Reign play classic heavy metal, though elements of speed and thrash metal are observant. Added in is the predominant singing in Tamaki Makuarau’s third language – Gagana Samoa, the use of a Pātē (Samoan Slit Drum) the manaia displayed by the band members onstage, all pronounced that the band are blazing their own pathway in a metallic world.
With past visits to Australia, Samoa and Europe, and with new material forthcoming (they played a brand new song tonight) It seems possible that even with the coming loss of long time drummer Shaymen Rameka, Shepherds Reign may see their future third album as the launch platform to set sail in their ‘alia further into foreign waters.
Alien Weaponry
Tonight Alien Weaponry, who have teased online with two advance singles Mau Moko & 1000 Friends, preempt with Van Halen’s Jump blasting through the speakers, it’s just too catchy for many in the crowd to not respond. Darkness drops and then drummer Henry Te Reiwhati de Jong welcomes and challenges all with a haka, and as the band launches into 2018’s Holding My Breath, the moshpit is a frenetic waka of energy.
It doesn’t take long until songs from Te Ra appear, 1000 Friends, which is prefaced with another early single – Raupatu, (a mighty challenge to the divisive politics of nga pokokōhua politicians like David Seymour and Don Brasch) the song that gained them international eyes and ears. Alien Weaponry’s aroha of their whakapapa and sharing of their personal mana as Maori is worn on their shirtsleeves, and through the duality of english and te reo lyrics. But live, it’s via their fervent delivery of music and beats, their vision of heavy metal and its energy, that they convey their whakaaro, rather than by korero onstage.
Alien Weaponry, once again, brings the experience of touring internationally to the Aotearoa stage, The delivery of songs is precise, and the symbiosis between band members sublime. The instances of triple vocals is a phenomena, as is the drum and bass partnership between drummer Henry Te Reiwhati de Jong and bassist Turanga Morgan-Edmonds. But it’s the makutu that exists between guitarist/singer Lewis Raharuhi de Jonh, and Turanga Morgan-Edmonds, the onstage coexistence and collaboration, that brings visual vibratility and poetry in motion onstage.
In a set that rode the ocean waves, like a waka, Alien Weaponry, shared songs from past – Ahi Ka and future – Te Riri o Tāwhirimātea, both of which use media samples, to ephemeral effect. And while the band are a solid trio, Lewis Raharuhi de Jonh shared that they had enlisted the help of Lamb of God’s vocalist David Randall Blythe on another new song – Taniwha, I suspect Turanga Morgan-Edmonds quip about him not actually being at the venue tonight was a little lost. Though his encouragement of crowd participation towards the end of the set had many jumping in unison successfully.
Alien Weaponry calculated the ending precisely, bringing on stage Shepherds Reign singer Filiva’a James to call in the last two songs, Rū Ana Te Whenua & Kai Tangata, bringing a rejuvenation to the moshpit and leaving the tangata in attendance on a fresh high. Tonight Alien Weaponry showed that they have found balance between, and within the world’s they inhabit, while all around them too many see only black, white and division.
Simon Coffey
Click on any image to view a photo gallery by Michael Jeong:
Alien Weaponry:
Shepherds Reign:
