Alien Weaponry - Gig Review: Alien Weaponry @ Underworld, London -16/06/2019
You have got to admire Alien Weaponry’s dedication and commitment. Back in 2016 they said “there is no plan B and that is good as it means we have to deliver on plan A”
And deliver is just what they have done. Many people won’t realise it has taken years of hard work to get the band to this point. I can remember watching these kids years ago. Guitars almost bigger than they were, Lewis and Ethan’s hair spinning like some kind of twin satanic windmills.
They are currently playing their biggest shows in the USA and Europe. These are not just any shows either, AW have played some of the biggest festivals in the world and just last night played the UK’s premier rock festival Download.
Tonight is a more intimate affair at London’s Underworld. Three guys doing exactly what they set out to do all those years ago. They have never wavered in their commitment to just play the music they love whilst showcasing their Maori heritage. They have taken some flack along the way mainly from some tall poppies in New Zealand, but AW know their roots which are strong enough to have kept them grounded and the band are now reaping the rewards.
The Underworld is very aptly named. Stairs lead down into a crypt like bar area which opens up into a pit. The band are elevated on a stage looking down onto the crowd. Tonight the pit is full.
There is an air of expectation as Alien Weaponry have been making quite a name for themselves. One over excited guy said to me “this is going to be great. Alien Weaponry are New Zealand’s Sepultura”
It is a fair comparison and as Henry stands behind his kit and begins to chant the crowd lets out a huge cheer. It’s like lighting a touch paper. Seconds later the place erupts, the pit starts bouncing and it is game on.
The constant gigging has made Alien Weaponry even tighter. Tonight they appear faultless. They play as if this is the only gig they are ever going to do. They never give less than 100% as track after track is laid out with a relentless intensity.
The crowd take the energy given off by the band and throw it straight back at them. The gig just keeps building, each song pushed to its limits as the crowd circles in the pit.
Lewis is now a seasoned frontman and his passion for the music comes across in every syllable. I am lost in the swirl of energy, a big grin on my face as the band leave the stage to a cheering crowd that has just witnessed one of the best metal gigs they will ever see.
Alien Weaponry are on a mission. It is one they started back in 2010 and they have never wavered in their belief in the music they create. Tonight is further proof that the world is now listening.
About Alien Weaponry
AW was formed in 2010 by brothers Henry and Lewis de Jong, who have been listening to bands like Metallica, Anthrax and Pantera since birth; and started jamming and writing songs before they learnt the alphabet. Current influences include Lamb Of God, Tryvium, Subtract and System of a Down, but the band has developed its own distinctive thrash metal sound, destined to endure into future centuries.
Not content to rely on the shock value of their extreme youth, the group understands the value of professionalism, and works crowds to a frenzy with their tight, thrashy energy and wild stage performances. Their plans for world domination include playing at Wacken in Germany and touring the big international metal festivals. They refuse to play covers, and have enough material to begin recording their first album later this year.
Visit the muzic.net.nz Profile for Alien Weaponry
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