The Hu have confirmed their third studio album, Hun, will be released on July 24, while unveiling the new single Lost Soul, a collaboration with Jonny Hawkins of Nothing More that signals the next phase of the Mongolian band’s evolving Hunnu Rock sound.
by Paul Cashmere
The Hu have announced details of their third studio album Hun, due for release on July 24 through Better Noise Music, while also unveiling the new track Lost Soul featuring Jonny Hawkins of Nothing More. The release marks the band’s first recorded collaboration with Hawkins and opens a new chapter for the Mongolian group, whose combination of traditional instrumentation and heavy music has built an international audience over the past seven years.
The announcement arrives at a significant point in The Hu’s trajectory. Since emerging from Ulaanbaatar and introducing their self-described “Hunnu Rock” sound in 2018, the group has shifted from an underground curiosity to a globally recognised act that has appeared on Billboard charts, toured major territories and brought traditional Mongolian music into a contemporary heavy music setting.
For fans outside the metal community, the significance of Hun extends beyond a routine album cycle. The Hu’s rise has mirrored a broader trend where artists are increasingly integrating regional musical traditions into mainstream formats while maintaining cultural identity. In recent years, acts from multiple territories have used local instruments, languages and folklore to reach global audiences without adapting entirely to Western musical templates.
The first taste of the album arrives with Lost Soul, a track that combines The Hu’s established sonic framework with Hawkins’ melodic contribution. According to information released alongside the song, the composition places a rhythmic rock structure underneath traditional Mongolian vocal techniques and instrumentation.
The track blends English language lyrics from Hawkins with throat singing and chants from The Hu, creating a back and forth exchange between two distinct musical approaches. The song also continues a pattern established by the band over recent years, where guest artists from Western rock and metal circles have entered The Hu’s musical world rather than the band shifting stylistically to meet collaborators.
Galaa said the collaboration was intended to reinforce the band’s broader message.
“We have been unpacking our surprises one by one. Hunnu Rock transcends through culture and in that respect, we have made ‘Lost Soul’ with Jonny Hawkins,” he said.
“To be not lost on your life journey, not losing your values, and go through life and having a courage to face the life obstacles are messages we are sending our fans through this song ‘Lost Soul’ and in our next album, Hun.”
Hawkins described the collaboration as unfamiliar territory in his own career.
“I am so excited to team up with a band as committed to their craft as The Hu. It’s unlike anything I’ve done before.”
The Hu formed in 2016 when producer and songwriter Bayarmagnai “Dashka” Dashdondog brought together musicians trained at the Mongolian State Music and Dance Conservatory. The lineup of Galbadrakh “Gala” Tsendbaatar, Nyamjantsan “Jaya” Galsanjamts, Enkhsaikhan “Enkush” Batjargal and Temuulen “Temka” Naranbaatar built a sound around traditional instruments including the morin khuur and tovshuur, combined with throat singing and hard rock structures.
The group’s breakthrough came quickly. Wolf Totem reached the top of Billboard’s Hard Rock Digital Song Sales chart in 2019, making The Hu the first Mongolian act to achieve a Billboard number one. Their debut album The Gereg followed that year, with Rumble Of Thunder arriving in 2022.
Along the way, The Hu have moved beyond conventional album and touring cycles. Their music entered the Star Wars Jedi gaming universe through the fictional in-game band Agasar, they contributed to The Metallica Blacklist project, and they collaborated with artists including Jacoby Shaddix, Lzzy Hale, William DuVall and Serj Tankian.
The band’s relationship with Australia also became part of their history after their 2020 tour was interrupted by the COVID pandemic, leaving members confined near Sydney for 45 days during lockdown restrictions.
The Hu suggest Hun is only part of a larger plan. The band said they had spent several years developing the record and are already preparing new material beyond it. They are also reshaping their live production with larger performances in mind, indicating that the next touring cycle may bring expanded staging and stronger visual elements drawn from Mongolian culture.
If their first two albums established The Hu internationally, Hun now becomes the test of whether their distinctive sound can continue expanding while retaining the musical identity that first separated them from the wider heavy music field.
HUN Track Listing
“Warrior Chant”
“Lost Soul”
“The Men”
“Echoes Of My Father”
“Shadow”
“Horsemen”
“Greed”
“The Real You”
“Grey Hun”
“Universe”
“Second Face”
Version of “Lost Soul” featuring Jonny Hawkins will only appear on the digital version of HUN
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