Alien Weaponry’s Latest, “Hatupatu,” is Sung Entirely in Their Native Te Reo Māori Language
Alien Weaponry have unveiled a video for “Hatupatu,” the third single from their forthcoming album, Tangaroa.
Alien Weaponry have always been loud cheerleaders of their New Zealand heritage, but that’s never been more so than on their latest, which is sung entirely in the indigenous language of te reo Māori. What’s more, the story behind the track ties directly to one of the de Jong brothers’ ancestors. It involves what press copy describes as “the dangerous clutches of the fabled witch of the forest, the evil bird-woman Kurangaituku.” Whoa. Metal.
Drummer Henry de Jong says:
“The story of ‘Hatupatu’ is one Lewis and I grew up with – our father was the first person to tell us as children. Having a family connection with it only made creating a song more intriguing for us. Traditionally, Māori legends were passed down through families by re-telling them, not by having them written down in books. It only makes sense for us to be re-telling this story as our tūpuna (ancestors) did for generations. We cannot wait to share with the rest of the world.”
Give it a spin below. Tangaroa, which comes out today, September 17, via Napalm Records. Order it here and peep previous videos “Buried Underground” and “Tangaroa.”
Alien Weaponry commence a tour with Gojira and Knocked Loose in October. Here are dates:
October 9 – Sacramento, CA @ Aftershock* [tickets]
October 11 – Salt Lake City, UT @ The Union [tickets]
October 13 – Kansas City, MO @ Arvest Bank Theatre at The Midland [tickets]
October 14 – Wichita, KS @ The Cotillion [tickets]
October 15 – Oklahoma City, OK @ Diamond Ballroom [tickets]
October 17 – New Orleans, LA @ Civic Theatre [tickets]
October 19 – Tampa, FL @ Jannus Live [tickets]
October 20 – Orlando, FL @ Hard Rock Live [tickets]
October 22 – Nashville, TN @ Marathon Music Works [tickets]
October 23 – Asheville, NC @ Thomas Wolfe Auditorium [tickets]
October 25 – Albany, NY @ Upstate Concert Hall [tickets]
October 27 – Portland, ME @ State Theatre [tickets]
October 28 – Rochester, NY @ Main Street Armory [tickets]
October 29 – Cleveland, OH @ The Agora [tickets]
^Gojira Only
*Festival
