Raise The Horns As The Hu Bring Their 'Rumble Of Thunder' Down Under

When The Hu last visited Australia for their debut tour, it didn't go exactly as planned.

Forced into hotel lockdown when flights were grounded at the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, they were left in limbo. But that hasn't deterred them from making another go of it.

In fact, as The Hu's Temuulen Naranbaatar (aka Temka) and Galbadrakh Tsendbaatar (aka Gala) say, the Mongolian metal-rock band don't perceive the episode as a negative thing, rather a facilitator for what they promise will be a cataclysmic tour next month when The Hu return for live shows in Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Sydney.

"I don't see being stuck because of the pandemic as a negative thing at all," says Gala, through The Hu's translator Solongo Batbold.

"It was one of our fondest memories. Even though we were in a hotel, everybody was so friendly.

"Our tour stopped after the fourth concert, so all I had to think about was 'I want to keep performing'. So, to be able to continue performing from where we left off is a great opportunity for us.



"We weren't just sitting around [or] depressed about anything. Instead, we talked about our new music, did some work in there as well, so it was a very productive time, so I don't see it as a negative [thing] at all."

That phrase, "to continue performing", is, as Gala elaborates, The Hu's way of merging that excitement and energy of that abrupt debut tour into the Black Thunder Australia tour to become a wild and earth-shattering event.

"This tour is called Black Thunder so new programme with a mixture of the old excitement, it would be right to say our fans can expect new Hu is coming to Australia," Gala says.

Lockdown in a hotel didn't dampen the creative aspects of the group either. Propelled by their international lockdown experience, The Hu hit the studio almost the moment they returned home to Mongolia to begin work on their forthcoming album, 'Rumble Of Thunder'.

Both album and the Australian tour are heralded by March's single 'This Is Mongol'. The track is mighty and sets a precedent for 'Rumble Of Thunder'.



"'The Gereg' album [2019] was our debut album and we had collaborated with so many artists and featured them to bring a newer version of our songs," begins Temka.

"'This Is Mongol' is one of the different songs we're brining into the second album. We have put a lot of work into it so you can expect different takes on the new rock genre."

Indeed, heavy metal is what it is, but then when you merge the Mongolian throat singing, traditional folk songs and its unique dialects, it cranks the amp up to 11.

You'd be right to assume there is far more for us to learn from The Hu through their music about Mongolian culture and heritage. "There are songs that teach Mongolian history," Gala says of what's contained in 'Rumble Of Thunder'.

"They show the way of tradition in our culture, but there are also universal messages that we try to adapt to put out.

"They will be merged with The Hu rock that we perform and share to the world. It will be a mixture of everything, and all the fans should be anticipating a great deal of music from the second album."

The only way to truly appreciate and understand, then, how The Hu merge traditional Mongol methods with the universal ruckus that is wonderful heavy metal is to go and see a show. Gala responds with an affirmative and universal grunt of agreement – and a big horns up.

'Rumble Of Thunder' will be released 2 September.

The Hu 2022 Tour Dates

Tue 2 Aug - 170 Russell (Melbourne)* sold out
Wed 3 Aug - 170 Russell (Melbourne)* sold out
Fri 5 Aug - Eatons Hill Hotel (Brisbane)
Sat 6 Aug - Hindley Street Music Hall (Adelaide)
Sun 7 Aug - The Roundhouse (Sydney)