Mongolian folk metal pioneers The Hu have released their third studio album Hun, alongside a new video for the track “Horsemen”, marking the band’s latest chapter after recent performances with Iron Maiden in the UK.
by Paul Cashmere
The Hu have released their third studio album Hun through Better Noise Music, accompanied by the premiere of the video for “Horsemen”. The record is the Mongolian band’s first full-length release since 2022’s Rumble of Thunder and continues the group’s fusion of traditional Mongolian music with heavy metal, a style they have coined “Hunnu Rock”. While the album is available digitally and on CD now, vinyl editions and a deluxe box set are scheduled for release on 11 September.
The album’s title carries particular significance for the band. Hun translates to “human” in Mongolian and reflects a concept that originally began under the working title Between the Heaven and Earth. According to the group, the final title better captured the record’s themes of shared human experience and the natural connection between people and the world around them.
Band member Nyamjantsan “Jaya” Galsanjamts said the recording process challenged the group to further develop the balance between traditional Mongolian instrumentation and modern heavy music.
“In our third album, we tested many boundaries and used different techniques to perfect the combination of traditional instruments with heavy metal music genres,” Jaya said.
“The concept of the Hun album comes from universal experiences we all go through collectively as humans in this world. Our hope is to remind our listeners the importance of introspection through variety of songs from slow to fast rhythmic songs.”
Released alongside the album, the video for “Horsemen” draws inspiration from Mongolia’s military history.
“‘Horsemen’ is inspired by the legendary Mongolian warriors who once rode across much of the known world,” the band said.
“These warriors were known for their discipline, intelligence, courage, and incredible skill. They were called the ‘Army of the Heavens’ because of their unmatched mobility and strength. This song celebrates their spirit and honours the qualities that made them legendary. It’s a reminder that true power comes from discipline, wisdom, and unity.”
The album also includes “Lost Soul”, featuring Jonny Hawkins of Nothing More. The collaborative track was issued ahead of the album’s release, although the version featuring Hawkins appears only on the digital edition of Hun.
The Hu first emerged internationally in 2018 with the online success of “Yuve Yuve Yu” and “Wolf Totem”, songs that introduced audiences to their combination of throat singing, the morin khuur, tovshuur and other traditional Mongolian instruments alongside contemporary metal. In 2019, “Wolf Totem” became the first song by a Mongolian act to top Billboard’s Hard Rock Digital Song Sales chart.
Formed in Ulaanbaatar in 2016, the band consists of Galbadrakh “Gala” Tsendbaatar, Nyamjantsan “Jaya” Galsanjamts, Enkhsaikhan “Enkush” Batjargal and Temuulen “Temka” Naranbaatar. All four studied traditional Mongolian music and throat singing before producer and songwriter Dashka brought them together to create a new musical identity that would become known as Hunnu Rock.
Their debut album The Gereg established the group internationally in 2019, followed by extensive touring across Europe and North America. Their momentum continued with Rumble of Thunder in 2022, expanding their global audience through collaborations with artists including William DuVall of Alice In Chains, Serj Tankian of System Of A Down, Jacoby Shaddix of Papa Roach and Lzzy Hale of Halestorm.
The band’s music has also extended beyond the concert stage. Songs by The Hu have featured in Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order and Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, where specially adapted versions of their music were performed in the fictional Star Wars language. They also contributed to The Metallica Blacklist project with a cover of “Through The Never” and have previously recorded versions of Metallica’s “Sad But True” and Iron Maiden’s “The Trooper”.
The release of Hun follows a period of growing international exposure that included supporting Iron Maiden on recent tour dates. Looking ahead, the band has indicated it is already developing new material while preparing an expanded live production designed to incorporate more elements of Mongolian culture into future performances.
Tracklisting
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 of Nothing More) appears only on the digital version of Hun.
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