The intiguing mix of Heavy Metal and Mongolian gutteral singing – at Glastonbury – from The HU.
Release Date: 21st June 2024
Label: Better Noise
Format: CD / vinyl / digital
When in doubt, the sagely advice of Slash often comes to mind. One of the key stories in his autobiography relaes to whenever he wanted to get to grips with a new band, he’d start with the double live album and go from there. Sound advice to be fair and a philosophy that’s paid dividends in many cases. It bears fruit once more with The HU.
Lined up as support for the mighty Maiden on their Oct/Nov US tour and with celebrity fans such as The Rock and Sir Elton John – which can’t be bad – we find ourselves jumping abroad the bandwagon (or ger tereg) to see what the fuss is about. It’s their 2023 Glastonbury performance, quite unique in the general absence of anything remotely metallic at Glasto, that’s immortalised in a release that’s set to open further doors for The HU.
Featuring tracks from their breakthrough album The Gereg and from their most recent release Rumble Of Thunder, the set sees a couple of minutes of build up, a Glasto cheer and we’re off into an ominous march and restrained vocal that gives but a small hint of what’s to follow in the full 65 minute, eleven song set. Shihi Hutu sets the scene with a stomping rhythm and wailing string part; the unusual combo of modern instrumentation with traditional instruments – the Morin Khuur (horsehead fiddle), Tovshuur (Mongolian guitar), Tumur Khuur (jaw harp) – invoking a stirring introduction. Hunnu Rock they call it.
An non-stop barrage of the aforementioned Hunnu Rock issues forth. Eseerin Vasahina gives the Glasto crowd the chance to contribute some guttural chants and war cries – not something that you see everyday in the Worthy Farm environs, and with the hoardes now fully charged, an epic Warrior follows; all wailing fiddle, Eastern mysticism and hearty chants
Shoog Shoog sounds like it should be a bubblegum pop phenomenon with a quirky little dance as does Yuve Yuve Yu although the latter has a driving and bouncey appeal that might see it as an outsider in Eurovision. Black Thunder has them launching into a furious display of soloing that’s akin to a fine Metal jig and yes there’s a cover of Metallica’s Through The Never that reminds the audience that they have a finger on the pulse (or fingers in the pie) of what counts in the contemporary Western scene, but soon enough the fearsome and primal return. Upright Destined Mongol and a particularly brutal finale of This Is Mongol that also owes a small debt to a Mettalica-esque thump – proudly celebrating their tradition
Doing what Rammstein and Wardruna have done for Teutonic Metal and Norwegian traditions, The HU’s live offering serves up an exciting dish saturated with thrills and spills. Inspirational in offering the thrill of discovery of something new and rather tremendous.
Check this out…:
The HU online: Website / Facebook / Twitter-X / Instagram / Youtube
Keep up with At The Barrier: Facebook / X (formerly Twitter) / Instagram / Spotify / YouTube