Alien Weaponry: Kua Tupu Te Ara Film Review
“Alien Weaponry: Kua Tupu Te Ara” is a documentary about a NZ heavy metal band. The group consists of two brothers and their songs feature lyrics mainly in Te reo Māori (the Māori language). The film is an insightful look at the group’s meteoric rise from their loungeroom to the European festival stage.
Filmmaker, Kent Belcher has unprecedented access to the subjects here. He splices together home movies of brothers, Henry and Lewis De Jong. The boys started playing music together at ages 10 and eight on the drums and guitar.
Watching this documentary, I couldn’t help but think of Australian band, Silverchair. Both groups started playing music at a very young age. Both had youth, charm and rebellion in spades. There’s also something about their both being from the antipodes, perhaps it was a desire to take on the rest of the world. You certainly get the sense that both groups have musical virtuosity far beyond their young years.
Alien Weaponry were initially joined by bassist, Ethan Trembath. The film covers Trembath’s leaving as he ultimately had different aspirations. His replacement was Tūranga Morgan-Edmonds who fits in well with the band of brothers as they all have a high degree of musicianship under their belts. The film is very much in keeping with the family as the De Jong boys’ parents: Niel and Jette act as audio engineer and tour manager, at least in those early, heady years.
The film charts a period of about five years in the band. It includes scenes such as looking at the implications of Covid-19 lockdowns and collaborations with the NZ Symphony Orchestra. There’s also lots of time spent on the road (both with parental supervision and without). Major milestones such as 18th and 21st birthday celebrations also get a look in. You see how the boys really grow and mature into young men.
Lewis De Jong serves as the group’s front man but all of the boys are interesting characters. They all have wonderful senses of humour. It is this larrikinism that helps them cope with time on the road. This cheekiness is nicely balanced with more serious moments devoted to spotlighting Māori identity in NZ and beyond.
There are also some talking head interviews interspersed with the band footage. Heavy metal fans will enjoy the interviews with Randy Blythe of Lamb of God and Chuck Billly of Testament. The soundtrack should also appeal to those that enjoy this musical genre as it’s all shredded guitars, guttural singing and thrashing drums. You’ll wanna turn your lounge into a circle pit.
“Alien Weaponry” is a pleasing documentary about some young men who made good in quite challenging circumstances. Belcher covers a big five years in the band’s genesis and sees how they mature and grow as musicians. In short, this is all about celebrating the passing of time as the circle of life meets the circle pit.
About the Author
Natalie Salvo Natalie is a Sydney-based writer and lover of all things music, food, photography comedy, art, theatre. You can find her digging in crates at good record stores.
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