# The Hu
**The Hu** is a Mongolian folk metal band formed in 2016 in [Ulaanbaatar](https://www.edgepedia.org/ulaanbaatar), known for combining Mongolian throat singing and traditional instruments such as the morin khuur with heavy metal song structures, electric guitars, and drums[1](https://www.discovermongolia.mn/blogs/introducing-the-hu-band-with-their-unique-blend-of-metal-with-traditional-mongolian-music). The band calls its style "hunnu rock", from "hu", the Mongolian root word for human being; the members have said the name was not chosen as a play on the Who[2](https://www.theguardian.com/music/2019/oct/22/its-something-new-how-mongolian-rock-band-the-hu-went-viral). Their first two singles, "Yuve Yuve Yu" and "Wolf Totem", went viral in 2018 and carried the band to international attention within two years of formation[3](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/the-hu-mn0003084308).
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Formed | 2016, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia; four-piece band[1](https://www.discovermongolia.mn/blogs/introducing-the-hu-band-with-their-unique-blend-of-metal-with-traditional-mongolian-music) • [4](https://www.liverate.com/artists/the-hu) |
| Style | Self-described "hunnu rock": traditional Mongolian music fused with heavy metal[2](https://www.theguardian.com/music/2019/oct/22/its-something-new-how-mongolian-rock-band-the-hu-went-viral) |
| Signature elements | Khoomei (throat singing); morin khuur (horsehead fiddle), tovshuur (Mongolian lute), tsuur (wooden flute), tumur khuur (jaw harp)[5](https://sites.google.com/view/analyzing-vocal-music/posts/the-hu-wolf-totem) • [6](https://www.brandeis.edu/classics-mediterranean-studies/heavy-metal-and-global-premodernity/abstracts/jacqueline-jung.pdf) |
| Breakthrough | 2018 singles "Yuve Yuve Yu" and "Wolf Totem"; the latter reached number one on Billboard's Hard Rock Digital Sales chart and the World Music chart[3](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/the-hu-mn0003084308) |
| Albums | The Gereg (2019), Rumble of Thunder (2022), Hun (July 24, 2026)[7](https://www.loudersound.com/bands-artists/the-hu-announce-new-album-hun) |
| Honor | Chinggis Khaan medal from the president of Mongolia, November 2019, for representing Mongolian culture abroad[8](https://epa.oszk.hu/03100/03107/00008/pdf/EPA03107_antropolus_2020_03-04.pdf) |
| Language | All songs sung exclusively in Mongolian[2](https://www.theguardian.com/music/2019/oct/22/its-something-new-how-mongolian-rock-band-the-hu-went-viral) |
## Sound and instrumentation
The band's music fuses heavy metal with traditional Mongolian music. It combines throat singing, an overtone vocal technique in which the singer holds a drone pitch while producing higher overtones, with the bombastic bass and drums of rock[5](https://sites.google.com/view/analyzing-vocal-music/posts/the-hu-wolf-totem). Live, the setup pairs two heavily amplified morin khuur, the two-stringed horsehead fiddle considered Mongolia's national instrument, with large bass drums alongside a conventional kit, jew's harps, and lead and bass guitars[9](https://www.theartsdesk.com/new-music/hu-o2-academy-bristol-review-heavy-metal-meets-throat-singing).
**Traditional training.** All four members studied at the Mongolian State Music and Dance Conservatory in Ulaanbaatar, where they learned throat singing and traditional instrumental technique; they brought this training to Western hard rock and metal styles that became widely accessible in Mongolia only in the 1990s[6](https://www.brandeis.edu/classics-mediterranean-studies/heavy-metal-and-global-premodernity/abstracts/jacqueline-jung.pdf). Although the band formed only in 2016, its members had played their instruments and practiced throat singing for most of their lives[2](https://www.theguardian.com/music/2019/oct/22/its-something-new-how-mongolian-rock-band-the-hu-went-viral). Reviewers have repeatedly noted that this conservatory grounding gives the band a level of technical skill unusual in popular metal[10](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/reviews/the-hu-review-mongolian-metal-band-the-gereg-album-tour-dates-a9332846.html).
The lyrics are generally in Mongolian and draw on Mongolian culture, history, and the relationship between people and nature, although "Sugaan Essena" was translated into a language unique to [Star Wars](https://www.edgepedia.org/star-wars); songs include old Mongolian war cries and poetry, and several tracks address the [Mongol Empire](https://www.edgepedia.org/mongol-empire), including "The Great Chinggis Khaan", which presents [Genghis Khan](https://www.edgepedia.org/genghis-khan) as an inventor and founding father rather than the conquering figure common outside Mongolia[2](https://www.theguardian.com/music/2019/oct/22/its-something-new-how-mongolian-rock-band-the-hu-went-viral) • [10](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/reviews/the-hu-review-mongolian-metal-band-the-gereg-album-tour-dates-a9332846.html) • [18](https://www.ea.com/games/starwars/jedi/news/cals-favorite-song).
## Formation and breakthrough
The concept of merging Western rock with traditional Mongolian instrumentation on a cinematic scale came from the band's producer and songwriter, B. "Dashka" Dashdondog, who knew singer Gala from Ulaanbaatar's music scene[11](https://www.loudersound.com/bands-artists/we-were-playing-the-first-slot-at-noon-nobody-comes-to-the-stage-at-noon-but-it-was-full-of-people-they-were-waiting-for-us-and-chanting-how-four-mongolian-pals-playing-folk-metal-became-their-countrys-biggest-ever-rock-band). Earlier Mongolian rock bands such as Haranga, Altan Urag, and Tengger Cavalry had attempted milder versions of the culture-crossing blend, but none reached the same international audience[11](https://www.loudersound.com/bands-artists/we-were-playing-the-first-slot-at-noon-nobody-comes-to-the-stage-at-noon-but-it-was-full-of-people-they-were-waiting-for-us-and-chanting-how-four-mongolian-pals-playing-folk-metal-became-their-countrys-biggest-ever-rock-band).
The 2018 release of "Yuve Yuve Yu" started the band's international rise; the video earned nearly 100 million views on YouTube[12](https://pdsyracuse.newhouse.syr.edu/2022/08/08/the-who-is-it-the-who-no-its-the-hu-mongolias-cultural-public-diplomacy-takes-center-stage/). Its follow-up "Wolf Totem" reached number one on Billboard's Hard Rock Digital Sales chart and the World Music chart[3](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/the-hu-mn0003084308). The debut album *The Gereg* followed in 2019 and hit number one on the UK's rock and metal chart[10](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/reviews/the-hu-review-mongolian-metal-band-the-gereg-album-tour-dates-a9332846.html).
## International profile
The band toured Europe and the United States in 2019, resumed US touring in 2022 after the pandemic interruption, and has since played major festivals including [Glastonbury](https://www.edgepedia.org/glastonbury) and Download[12](https://pdsyracuse.newhouse.syr.edu/2022/08/08/the-who-is-it-the-who-no-its-the-hu-mongolias-cultural-public-diplomacy-takes-center-stage/) • [13](https://www.loudersound.com/reviews/the-hu-hun-album-review). It has toured with Iron Maiden, including supporting the band at its 50th anniversary show at Knebworth in July 2026, and recorded a horsehead-fiddle cover of Iron Maiden's "The Trooper"[13](https://www.loudersound.com/reviews/the-hu-hun-album-review) • [14](https://www.loudersound.com/bands-artists/interviews/the-hu-life-lessons-2026).
**Screen and stage collaborations.** [Respawn Entertainment](https://www.edgepedia.org/respawn-entertainment) asked the band to contribute "Sugaan Essena" to the 2019 video game *Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order*; the lyrics were translated from Mongolian into a language unique to Star Wars for the game, which the band found suited to throat singing[14](https://www.loudersound.com/bands-artists/interviews/the-hu-life-lessons-2026) • [18](https://www.ea.com/games/starwars/jedi/news/cals-favorite-song). The band also collaborated with [Metallica](https://www.edgepedia.org/metallica) on the 30th-anniversary celebration of the *Black Album* and has featured guest vocals from [Jacoby Shaddix](https://www.edgepedia.org/jacoby-shaddix) and Lzzy Hale[13](https://www.loudersound.com/reviews/the-hu-hun-album-review).
In November 2019 the president of Mongolia awarded the band the Chinggis Khaan medal, the country's highest state honor, for representing and promoting Mongolian culture through hunnu rock[8](https://epa.oszk.hu/03100/03107/00008/pdf/EPA03107_antropolus_2020_03-04.pdf). Mongolia's [Ministry of Foreign Affairs](https://www.edgepedia.org/ministry-of-foreign-affairs) has since treated the band's success as a model for cultural public diplomacy, promoting Mongolian traditions abroad[12](https://pdsyracuse.newhouse.syr.edu/2022/08/08/the-who-is-it-the-who-no-its-the-hu-mongolias-cultural-public-diplomacy-takes-center-stage/).
## Albums
After *The Gereg* (2019), the band released *Rumble of Thunder* in 2022[7](https://www.loudersound.com/bands-artists/the-hu-announce-new-album-hun). Its third album, *Hun*, was announced in May 2026 and released on July 24, 2026, preceded by the singles "Warrior Chant", "The Men", and the Iron Maiden-flavored "The Real You"; the single "Lost Soul" features a guest vocal from Jonny Hawkins, frontman of the Texan rock band [Nothing More](https://www.edgepedia.org/nothing-more)[7](https://www.loudersound.com/bands-artists/the-hu-announce-new-album-hun). Reviewers described *Hun* as leaning further into conventional metal songwriting than earlier records, with galloping rhythms recalling Iron Maiden's twin-guitar style[13](https://www.loudersound.com/reviews/the-hu-hun-album-review) • [15](https://www.kerrang.com/album-review-the-hu-hun).
In 2026 the band announced its biggest UK and European headline tour to date, running from late September through October with the French Nordic folk group Skáld as support[16](https://www.loudersound.com/bands-artists/live-performances/the-hu-announce-uk-european-headline-tour-2026).
## Reception
Critics have generally treated The Hu as a genuine musical project rather than a novelty act, pointing to the band's conservatory training and its songwriting as what separates it from gimmick-based fusion[10](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/reviews/the-hu-review-mongolian-metal-band-the-gereg-album-tour-dates-a9332846.html) • [13](https://www.loudersound.com/reviews/the-hu-hun-album-review). A critics' consensus based on 44 concert reviews rates the band an impressive live performer[4](https://www.liverate.com/artists/the-hu). Some reviewers of *Hun* have argued that in trying to reach folk purists, metalheads, and mainstream pop listeners at once, the band risks diluting what made it distinctive[17](https://cum.lv/article/the-hu-hun). The band's international reach despite lyrics in Mongolian has been a recurring point of commentary; reviewers note that audiences respond to the music itself rather than the words[10](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/reviews/the-hu-review-mongolian-metal-band-the-gereg-album-tour-dates-a9332846.html).
## References
1. [The Hu: Mongolia's Folk Metal Band Explained, Discover Mongolia](https://www.discovermongolia.mn/blogs/introducing-the-hu-band-with-their-unique-blend-of-metal-with-traditional-mongolian-music)
2. [Steppe change: how Mongolian rock band the Hu conquered the world, The Guardian](https://www.theguardian.com/music/2019/oct/22/its-something-new-how-mongolian-rock-band-the-hu-went-viral)
3. [The Hu — Biography, Discography, Albums & Expert Reviews, AllMusic](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/the-hu-mn0003084308)
4. [The Hu - Live Tour & Concert Review Consensus, LiveRate](https://www.liverate.com/artists/the-hu)
5. [Analyzing Vocal Music - The HU, "Wolf Totem"](https://sites.google.com/view/analyzing-vocal-music/posts/the-hu-wolf-totem)
6. [HMGP Panel Abstracts: Jacqueline Jung, Brandeis University](https://www.brandeis.edu/classics-mediterranean-studies/heavy-metal-and-global-premodernity/abstracts/jacqueline-jung.pdf)
7. [The Hu announce new album Hun and Lost Souls single, Louder](https://www.loudersound.com/bands-artists/the-hu-announce-new-album-hun)
8. [Interpretation on Hunnu Rock, antropolus 5. évf. 3-4. sz. (2020)](https://epa.oszk.hu/03100/03107/00008/pdf/EPA03107_antropolus_2020_03-04.pdf)
9. [The Hu, O2 Academy, Bristol review, The Arts Desk](https://www.theartsdesk.com/new-music/hu-o2-academy-bristol-review-heavy-metal-meets-throat-singing)
10. [The HU review, Electric Ballroom London, The Independent](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/reviews/the-hu-review-mongolian-metal-band-the-gereg-album-tour-dates-a9332846.html)
11. [How four Mongolian pals playing folk metal became their country's biggest ever rock band, Louder](https://www.loudersound.com/bands-artists/we-were-playing-the-first-slot-at-noon-nobody-comes-to-the-stage-at-noon-but-it-was-full-of-people-they-were-waiting-for-us-and-chanting-how-four-mongolian-pals-playing-folk-metal-became-their-countrys-biggest-ever-rock-band)
12. [The who? Is it The Who? No, it's the HU! Mongolia's cultural public diplomacy, PD Syracuse](https://pdsyracuse.newhouse.syr.edu/2022/08/08/the-who-is-it-the-who-no-its-the-hu-mongolias-cultural-public-diplomacy-takes-center-stage/)
13. [Mongol champions The Hu take after their hard rock heroes on long-awaited new album Hun, Louder](https://www.loudersound.com/reviews/the-hu-hun-album-review)
14. [The Hu's Enkush Batjargal on how he became a folk metal icon, Louder](https://www.loudersound.com/bands-artists/interviews/the-hu-life-lessons-2026)
15. [Album review: The HU – HUN, Kerrang!](https://www.kerrang.com/album-review-the-hu-hun)
16. [The Hu announce biggest headline UK/European tour to date, Louder](https://www.loudersound.com/bands-artists/live-performances/the-hu-announce-uk-european-headline-tour-2026)
17. [The HU — HUN Review, Metal Cumblast](https://cum.lv/article/the-hu-hun)
18. [Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order™ Soundtrack - EA Official Site](https://www.ea.com/games/starwars/jedi/news/cals-favorite-song)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Music › Music scenes › Transnational genre scenes › Heavy metal scenes › Artists, groups, and people: Heavy metal scenes › Folk, Symphonic & Regional Scenes*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license