Alien Weaponry sign international record deal

A Kiwi metal band which sings in te reo Maori is officially going global after landing a major international record deal.

Alien Weaponry have signed with Austrian label Napalm Records, which will see their album marketed and sold worldwide.

The band - made up of Lewis de Jong, 15, drummer Henry de Jong, 17, and bass player Ethan Trembath, 15 - will be the youngest artists ever added to the label's roster, which includes scores of metal acts like Atrocity, Hammerfall, Cavalera Conspiracy, Lonewolf and more.

The news comes after Alien Weaponry signed with Berlin-based management agency Das Maschine in 2017, a move which then saw them embark on a massive European festival tour.

In a press release, Alien Weaponry's Henry de Jong said the signing was a good match as it was in line with their thrash metal roots, but they would still bring their own flavour.

"We fit within their whanau, but we're also doing something different, introducing our own language and style," he said.

Lead singer and guitarist Lewis de Jong added: "We were planning to release the album ourselves on Waitangi Day, and although we have had to put it back a few months, it will allow us to take our music to the world.

"Napalm are also going to do a vinyl release, which lots of our fans have been asking for, so in the end it will be worth the wait."

The album was recorded at Roundhead studios in Auckland over a period of two years, and will be released later this year.