Live Review : The HU + Fire From The Gods @ O2 Ritz, Manchester on Februaty 12th 2020

There is a school of thought that Metal has transcended being simply a musical form and instead has become an attitude, a state of being, a unifying way of thinking. If that is so, it is then entirely logical that you can be “Metal” without actually playing Metal music. Tonight is very much case in point. To these ears, The HU play contemporary Mongolian Folk, but the way it is delivered is one hundred percent Metal. The audience is a bizarre mix of open minded metalheads and a smattering aficionados of what, rather patronisingly, used to be known as World Music. The Ritz is also packed, seriously packed. The HU may well be a rather left field addition to our world, but boy have they pulled a crowd.

Fire From the Gods make an interesting support choice, they are undoubtedly more traditional in their approach to Metal, however they are still ploughing a very distinct furrow. Skindred without the goofiness and playful tendencies is the best I can do in description, though I would also throw in Suicidal Tendencies with far better rapping into the mix. Whatever it is, it is brutal and abrasive and rather jolts those who have come expecting gentle ethnic folk. AJ Channer is an energetic and engaging frontman. He throws himself around the stage like a man possessed. Overall they pack a punch, probably a little too much toxic masculinity for my liking, but they still manage to make an impact.

The anticipation for The HU is frankly astonishing. The atmosphere is electric and the fact that this is all for four (well actually eight if you include the touring musicians) Mongolians playing instruments none of us can pronounce is mind blowing. When they hit the stage, it is obvious we are indeed re-writing the rule book in terms of what is defined as Metal (the only comparison I can come up with is Apocalyptica and the way that they produce Metal with nothing but four cellos). The energy is immense and the attitude is (as I said) Metal as fuck. Gala bounds around the stage, black mane flying and every inch the typical rock star. It is just that his vocal delivery is different. In many ways, the deep guttural and invocative tones of Tuvan throat singing is very Metal. After all, we have entire genres (death and black) based around distorted vocal styles. There is a guitar and bass on stage (subtlety hidden away on the far left and right of the stage) but they only really seem to appear in the mix for the last couple of tracks. In the most part, the music is led by the traditional Mongolian instruments the morin khuur, the tsuur and the topshur.

Musically it is really hard to pigeon hole what exactly The HU are doing as it is so far outside of our usual cultural touchstones. It is strident, repetitive and has distinctly anthemic qualities. The bottom line is though it sounds amazing. It is big, bold and in your face. Yes, there are strands of melody here that give it pop-like sensibilities, there are a couple of tracks where I swear they are about to break into 'Ra-Ra-Rasputin' by Boney M. but there are also sections where I am reminded of the driving relentlessness of industrial and others of where I am drawn to make comparisons with the ethnic folk of Arkona. Bottom line is that this is the most unique and different thing I have heard come under the term of Metal in decades which lead us back to the point of what actually makes this act, “Metal”. There is a fury, attitude and stage presence here that is utterly infectious. We may not be able to understand the lyrics (but then that is also true of Rammstein and most Black Metal bands) but I get a feeling of rebellion and individuality, all prime Metal subjects.

Bottom line is that they go down a storm. Each track is greeted not just with casual curiousness, but with full blooded rampant ravenousness. There are pits, there are girls on shoulders, there are pumping fists. This is a rock show, it just isn’t rock music as we know it. There is no encore, even though it is passionately screamed for, but they will be back as this is the start of something very exciting indeed. Where it goes from here is fascinating. This feels to me like the breaking of the seal, the moment where the West’s slender hold on our music is finally broken and the floodgates are opened to countless re-interpretations of our music from across the globe. Not just people from India, China, South America etc. playing Heavy Metal, but genuine authentic regional music styles played with Metal rampant energy. And that is brilliant, fascinating and the shot of adrenaline that we desperately need.