Kent Belcher

Alien Weaponry: Kua Tupu Te Ara

From Teenage Angst to a World Tour

Imagine what it’d feel like if your language and your whole culture was under threat. Bloody awful, right? So where do you reckon all that emotion would go? Into heavy metal, of course!

In a tiny New Zealand town of just 1,400 people, brothers Henry and Lewis de Jong picked up their instruments and unleashed something the world had never heard before: thrash metal fused with the Māori language. 

With their musician dad stepping in as manager and their mom handling the band's comms and media, Alien Weaponry became a family operation - equal parts garage band and cultural revolution. Their riffs hit like thunder, but their power comes just as much from their Māori roots. Onstage, Alien Weaponry is pure fire and fury. Offstage, it’s family bonds, parental support, and traditions running deep - from tattoos to karakia rituals and the strength of community.

There’s no rockstar ego here - just genuine, down-to-earth country lads taking on the world, one stage at a time. Filmed over six years, the documentary follows the brothers as they chase their dreams across Europe and the U.S., navigating teenage growing pains, the grind of touring with family, and the weight - and pride - of carrying their culture on their shoulders.

Kua tupu te ara - the path has opened.

Trailer