An eight-man heavy metal band from Mongolia known as The Hu has done what few thought could happen in the 21st century: Create a new genre of folk-metal music. Decked out in black war regalia out of the 13th century, they sing invocations to a Mongolian sky deity and odes to 13th century warlord Genghis Khan.
Not that anyone seems to really notice. At a recent performance opening for heavy metal superstars Iron Maiden at the Tacoma Dome in Washington state, the band’s lead singers, winging their long black hair to the raucous beat, belt out their lyrics in a deep guttural drone-like style known as throat singing. In Mongolian.
