Music is a bridge, in many ways, between countries and cultures. To the members of The HU, architects of one such bridge, music is also a way to explore what it means to feel, be, and create. The band plays what they call Hunnu music, which is a tribute to the ancient Hunnu culture in Mongolia and the songs they create help a rich tapestry of dark, heavy yet hopeful music.

Currently on their Black Thunder tour of North America, which has a stop at The Van Buren on Thursday, April 21, The HU have a unique sound. Their most popular song, for example, “Wolf Totem” off of their 2020 release, The Gereg.

The HU use instruments native to their country, as well as a traditional Mongolian throat singing technique in their excellent songs. The band is led by Gala, who is the lead throat singer and plays the morin khuur, which is a two-stringed instrument that is played with a bow. Joining Gala are Enkush, who also does throat singing and plays lead morin khuur; Jaya (a multi-instrumentalist and throat singer); and Temka, who plays the tovshuur, which is a Mongolian lute.

In 2020, The HU were asked by Metallica to contribute a song to their “Sad But True” tribute to the Black Album project. The mix of traditional Mongolian instruments, electric guitars, drums, and the throat singing easily creates the most compelling cover on the album — definitely a must-listen for Metallica fans.