Reviewed by Ian Phillips.
By The Hu, Eleven Seven Music 2019.
And now for something completely different.
The Hu are a Mongolian rock band that combine traditional instruments and throat singing with all the trappings of heavy rock;- distorted guitars, bombastic drums and hard aggressive rhythms.
The Hu is derived from the Mongolian root word for human being.
The band formed in 2016 in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, and all four members of the group have earned bachelor’s or higher degrees in classical music.
They draw inspiration from their Mongolian heritage, particularly from Hunnu, the ancient Mongolian empire that is better known in the west for the Huns and their great leader Genghis Khan.
The album title, Gereg, was the word used as the first diplomatic password during the time of Genghis Khan and the lyrical content includes old war cries and early Mongolian poetry.
Their unique sound blends the use of guttural throat singing with an interesting blend of traditional instruments including the Morin Khuur (horsehead fiddle), Tovshuur (Mongolian guitar), and Tumur (jaw harp).
The mix of these instruments and the throat singing style goes perfectly with the heavy metal instrumentation and song structures.
After all, it could be argued that Death Metal and Mongolian throat singing have much in common.
The Hu have just completed a 23-date European and UK tour, following on from extensive tours over several years throughout Asia and the Pacific rim.
There are some interesting film clips on YouTube, many of them filmed on a grand scale, which suggests that there is some serious industry money behind the group.
The Hu have already been labelled ‘A worldwide sensation’ that brings eastern traditions to western rock so expect to hear much more from them.
