Review: The HU: The Gereg

The HU: The Gereg, (2019, Sept.) via Better Noise Music (f/k/a Eleven Seven Music).

“Anyone want to go to see The HU?” wrote my philosophy professor buddy on his Facebook page in the summer of 2019. A largely unknown band to mainstream audiences, this Mongolian band that combined throat singing, traditional and modern Mongolian musical instruments, Central Asian folk music, and heavy metal had already claimed me as a fan. By then they were making inroads into widespread popularity, and had played at a number of festivals internationally, including several pagan music fests. So along with a librarian friend of mine and a couple of my philosophy prof’s friends we planned to see the band at The Glass House, a smallish venue in Pomona, CA, in December 2019. Tickets were around $20; for a Southern California venue, that’s pretty much equivalent to “free.”

Not anymore. The cheap seats for a HU concert right now (well, once live concerts begin again) will start at $60 if not more. Between the time I saw and was blown away by this band and now, they have become international stars.

Thank Star Wars for that.

So, yeah, the growling resonance of throat-singing, the exotic chords of the electric balalaika and horse-head fiddle (uh, these instruments do have more official names; see below) apparently appealed to the makers of Star Wars games, and so the song “Sugaan Essena” (The HU, 2020; Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order OST) was born. As for the players and singers, here are the names of the bandmates and the actual real names of their fascinating instruments:

Gala / Lead Throat Singer and Morin Khuur

Enkush / Lead Morin Khuur and Throat Singer

Jaya / Jaw Harp, Tsuur, Flute, and Throat Singer

Temka / Tovshuur (The HU. https://www.thehuofficial.com/about-1).

Sung not in Mongolian but in an invented language created for Star Wars, the song made the band an almost instant sensation. Both the song and an interview with the band can be found on the Star Wars Fallen Order Wiki. Fans are now clamoring for the band to be featured performing in a Star Wars vehicle, such as The Mandalorian television series or the next Star Wars film.

But back to that relatively unknown event in Pomona. The band performed the favorite songs of their fans which are featured on their album The Gereg. “Wolf Totem,” the video of which starts with the band members and their supporters riding in on motorcycles like a latter-day arrival of the Golden Horde, features English subtitles, which regale the reader who does not understand Mongolian what the band is singing about in no uncertain terms: “If tigers come, we’ll fight and battle/if elephants come, we’ll fight in rage.” (The HU. 2018, Nov. 16 [Video] YouTube) “Wolf Totem,” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jM8dCGIm6yc.)

Their praise song to Genghis Khan, “The Great Chinggis Khaan,” (The HU. 2019, Aug. 22) shows the Great Khan as someone they are clearly proud of as a progenitor,” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pD1gDSao1eA.)

. (In case anyone is wondering, it is estimated that .05% of the world’s men are descended from Genghis Kahn. According to numerous online articles, such as the one by Hillary Mayell of National Geographic [14 Feb. 2003], if you are male and have Asian, Middle Eastern, or European ancestry, you may be related to the Great Khan, who had at least 40 sons that we know of). Another song from the album that was sung at the concert, after the band dedicated it “to all women” was titled appropriately “Song of Women” (The HU. 2019, Sep. 12[Video] YouTube). Yes, the song may be a nod to the female Mongol rulers, such as Manduhai the Wise [“The Secret History of the Mongol Queens”], also known as the “wolf mother.”

The cognitive dissonance is amusing; they are very clearly proud to be the probable descendents of one of the most feared men in history, yet onstage they were smiling and making their hands in the sign of the heart to the audience. Unlike some hateful and disdainful heavy metal bands—hello, Great White telling their audience not to wear masks and social distance (2020 Jul 12)—the HU clearly wants all their fans as part of their khanate, regardless. The Gereg is a rockin’ good time, and if you get the chance, grab your windhorse and fly, don’t walk to go see them.

Since the publication of this album, a deluxe edition has been issued that includes participation by some well-known artists including Jacoby Shaddix and Lizzy Hale, singing along on the album with Gala, Jaya, Enkush, and Temka, as the boys in the band are known. Both versions can be enjoyed on the HU’s website, and are available as vinyl as well as in CD format. The songs on the original The Gereg that I purchased are as follows:

“The Gereg,” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Tqba-j2Ah4&list=RD0Tqba-j2Ah4&start_radio=1&t=10.

“Wolf Totem,” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jM8dCGIm6yc.

“The Great Chinggis Khaan,” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pD1gDSao1eA.

“The Legend of Mother Swan,” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tceM9nco9TQ.

“Shoog Shoog,” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dwr4SPK1_TY.

“The Same,” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6DkKGh70aKw.

“Yuve Yuve Yu,” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v4xZUr0BEfE.

“Shireg Shireg,” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SNCx4n2m5_o.

“Song of Women,” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KD3b11UgSvM.

Throat singing is not for everyone; it is best known as “Tuvan” throat singing, from the name of the tiny republic that first made it known to the rest of the world, but it is also a technique used by folk singers throughout Central Asia, Siberia, and among the Inuit. And bear in mind that this album may include folk music but it is not music for typical “folkies”; The HU plays hard rock, and that horsehead fiddle can really whinny! I don’t know how we all looked pumping our fists and chanting HU! HU! HU! but it was good clean fun. The HU’s website tells us that “the band’s name The HU, is the Mongolian root word for human being. They call their style “Hunnu Rock…inspired by the Hunnu, an ancient Mongolian empire, known as The Huns in western culture. Some of the band’ s lyrics include old Mongolian war cries and poetry” (The HU Official Website).

The phrase “The Gereg” refers to a diplomatic passport that apparently was carried by Mongol nobles in the 13th century (2020 July 14; The Gereg). So this album is truly the HU’s passport to the world. And the world is apparently happy to welcome them, but then of course I can only speak for the faculty and the librarians.

The Gereg is available as a CD for purchase or streaming and is available at Amazon.com, on the band’s website, https://www.thehuofficial.com/, and anywhere you buy or stream music.

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