Mongolian metal band The Hu are going down a storm as they take their mix of Metallica-style thrash and steppe music to rapt audiences across Europe this summer.

The four long-haired, leather-clad Mongolians, who have been hailed for their mesmerising live performances, grew up listening to a mix of metal and rock, from Metallica to the Foo Fighters.

But while their Western idols belt out songs about love lost and the meaning of the universe, The Hu, who rocked the Eurockeennes festival in the eastern French city of Belfort last Thursday, sing about upholding Mongolian traditions and respect for their ancestors.

After the Eurockeennes show, the band went onto to play dates in Switzerland and the Czech Republic. After their shows in Europe, the band will play a nine-date tour in the US in October.

It was a shared love of heavy metal which brought the band together when they formed in 2016. Their first videos, Yuve Yuve Yu and Wolf Totem, shot in dramatic, rocky Mongolian landscapes, have racked up a total of 33 million views on YouTube.