With a run time of 97 minutes and rated MA 15+, Alien Weaponry: Kua Tupu Te Arais now available to rent on Apple, Google, Microsoft, Amazon and Fetch. Written by Nigel McCulloch and Directed by Kent Belcher, Henry Te Reiwhati De Jong - drummer, Lewis Raharuhi De Jong - singer/guitarist, Ethan Trembath - bass guitar and Turanga Morgan-Emonds - bass guitarist (who replaced bassist Ethan), as themselves amongst the cast, including the de Jong parents Niel and Jette, this is not a film about heavy metal. It's not even a film about a heavy metal band. It's about family. A family from Waipu, New Zealand, where two teenage brothers are trying to become rock stars. It's an intimate portrait of the most important six years in the life of this band, and in particular, the two brothers at the band's core.
From the release of their debut album TU as they take their music to the world, touring through Australasia, Europe and America, it is an insight into what effect constant touring, teenage angst and creating music has on the boys and their family around them. This is an exclusive and privileged view, with unique access to the family, touring with the band and attending their shows - an insider's insight, showing a band on the rise. The director's camera follows the De Jongs from 2018 to 2023 when drummer Henry goes from around 18 to 24 and lead singer-guitarist Lewis goes from 16 to his 21st birthday party. More importantly, this documentary is a portrait of a normal, down-to-earth Kiwi family who find themselves in extraordinary circumstances. On the one hand, they are living a life that may see Henry and Lewis realise all of their dreams, but on the other, this could be a path that could ultimately end up changing who they are entirely.
The story of Alien Weaponry is played out in a raw and honest way that's also heartwarming and filled with all the emotions and angst you'd expect from a family that is so close-knit and enmeshed in each other's lives - sometimes there's no room to breathe. Yet, they take your breath away with a show of love and support for each other and very relatable parent vs child, & siblings vs each other moments. At the baseline of this story are two very talented brothers who are taking their Maori language and culture to the world but what's astonishing is their verve and tenacity for their culture and language, and their determination and pride in their heritage from a very young age - even before they were teenagers. In the modern-day world where they feel their culture is getting lost, with some inhabitants of New Zealand themselves not finding usefulness for the Maori language in modern-day world, and not wanting it 'shoved down their throats', these brothers stand tall and have taken it to the world stage. Such is their pride and their commitment to keep their culture alive, and it sits well on their shoulders.
Film clips of their toddler stages let you know these brothers were always close, even though there are scrappy moments and arguments about what's fair and what's not in their teens, bottom line, they will always have each other's backs, and by end of doco, claim they've learnt how to manage how they communicate with each other in a more mature way. And at the age of just 21 and 23 at the time, that's a pretty fast-tracked learning curve they've arrived at. However, that's nothing new for the brothers who formed a band at the age of 8 (Lewis) and 10 (Henry) and wrote their first song '80th Death' in their tender years. Their bass guitarist Ethan Trembath joined them two years later because he was the only kid with arms long enough to reach the end of the bass guitar - he was abducted by the brothers De Jong as their bass guitarist. It was also at this time that these 'children' chose the name of their band, after watching the film District 9. A bold and fitting choice that has stood the test of time, and testament to the fact that Alien Weaponry knew exactly what they wanted, and were good at making decisions for themselves. This trio became brothers-in-arms from the get-go, and with Ethan in the band, it's difficult to quote that at such a young age they became more serious and professional about their career.
By the time they reached the world arena, the brothers were still only 16 and 18, still at school, and commanding the stage with their thrash/groove metal with Haka sound. The aggressiveness of both Haka and Metal seem to go hand in hand - the stories and topics make for a perfect fit. it's also mind-boggling to think that a band so young, was having such an impact within the metal community - a frontline of teenagers commanding the stage with their music and intense drumming and bass - filling the stage with their sound as effectively as other bands twice and three times their ages, and numbers. An endorsement of their talent comes from the Principal of the NZ Symphony Orchestra in Wellington, when they were looking to do something completely different, and wanted to collaborate with artists that produced really complex and sophisticated music. Music that works well with the orchestra, where they could enmesh and both lead the charge, rather than just being pop stars in the front, and the orchestra playing strings in the background. Alien Weaponry were the obvious choice and they were invited to collaborate with NZSO. It was like nothing they'd ever done before.
To quote the Principal, 'the virtuosity of the writing, not just of the playing, but the actual material is so virtuosic, and hard, really complex music, and that they did that as kids, it freaks me out. It's proper Mozart kind of level of child prodigies stuff.' It's not just the NZSO, but the whole world is freaked out about their youth, their advanced musicianship, and the fiery social commentary of their lyrics. In 2020 it was announced that Ethan would be leaving the band to pursue his own happiness and goals, and after a few interviews in which Ethan was involved, to make sure he was leaving the legacy in capable hands, and because he wanted the brothers to continue to succeed, high school friend Turanga Morgan-Edmonds, also Maori, joined the band as the new bass player. Ending with Lewis' 21st, parents Niel and Jette have certainly given their sons the two things they can give their children in life, in this coming-of-age story. The first if roots, and the second is wings. We see the wings starting to spread, but the documentary doesn't fully cover the roots, and delve into subjects fans would love to hear. It never fully expanded into why they write and produce the music they do, and we are left to make assumptions without hearing the passion behind the lyrics from the brothers themselves. Overall it's a wonderful documentary to witness such greatness from these virtuosos. It might even be worth it for metal fans to go across the pond to witness their nationwide tour happening 14-23 March, 2025. It's also said that Alien Weaponry is set to release theirnewest album, Te Ra - their most powerful and mature offering to date, on March 28, 2025 via Napalm Records