Alien Weaponry, the New Zealand ‘Te Reo Metal’ band taking the world by storm is excited to be returning to the USA in September, where they will join Black Label Society and Black Dahlia Murder for 21 dates, followed by another 9 headline shows as well as Exit 111 festival.
The lineup this time around will be slightly different, as bass guitarist Ethan Trembath is returning to New Zealand at the end of the band’s current European tour to complete his final year at high school. The band has been on the road or recording almost constantly since July 2018; and Trembath (17) admits it has been a struggle to keep up with his schoolwork.
“I don’t like to disappoint our fans, but finishing school is really important to me,” says Trembath. “It was a very hard decision, and I hope people will appreciate that.”
Brothers Lewis (guitar and lead vocals) and Henry (drums) de Jong will be joined in North America by bass player Bobby Oblak, whom they met at Metaldays in 2018. Oblak recently toured with Alien Weaponry in New Zealand and Australia as a member of support band COPIA. He has toured extensively internationally over the past six years, with COPIA and other bands; and it was fortuitous that he was already in Europe, with a gap in his schedule during September and October that allowed him to join Alien Weaponry in North America.
“I recognised Alien Weaponry’s ‘kiwi’ accents in the artist camping ground at Metaldays last year, and from the first time we struck up a conversation, we all got on really well,” says Oblak. “I love their music and incredible energy on stage; and I’m stoked to be a part of it while Ethan is at school.”
“We’re sad that Ethan can’t make this tour, but we understand and respect his wish to finish school,” says Lewis de Jong. “Bobby is an awesome bass player and performer, and he’s also a great guy, so we hope our fans will welcome him and show him the love you all gave us on our last North American tour.”
Trembath will rejoin the band when they return to New Zealand in late October, where they will continue work on their second album, as well as playing a number of local shows over summer 2020, including the just-announced TUKI festival on 8 February.
The US/Canada tour with Black Label Society and Black Dahlia Murder begins in Ventura, California on 11 September. Check out all tour dates here: