Review of Trooper by the Hu

Review by

Mick Sayce

Once again the Hu have come up with a cover, but this time they have chosen one of Iron Maiden’s seminal tracks, The Trooper. Coming from a classical background –Mongolian classical that is- these guys have shown once again that they can adapt, and thereby blow away any surviving doubts about being able to appeal to Western audiences with good old metal music.

Announcing their arrival on the rock music scene with tracks like ‘Yuve, Yuve’ Yu’ and ‘Wolf Token’ the Hu, sung in their native tongue and playing traditional instruments, but it was their collaborations with Lzzy Hale, (Song of Woman), and Jacoby Shaddix, (Wolf Token), that showcased their versatility. Pushing the boundary even further there came a cover of Metallica’s ‘Through the Never’ and now we have Trooper.

Even though it is sung in Mongolian, none of the original raw power is lost and, if anything, has been enhanced, (Maiden fans are going to stick pins in effigies of me for this, but it is my opinion), with the band putting their unique –and very effective- slant on it.

The use of traditional instruments and the almost visceral raw power of their voices, conjoined with the strident guitars and thumping drums –both timpani and usual drum kit- merge seamlessly into an extremely well-polished cover.

It has been bandied about on social media that perhaps the band’s cultural heritage and appeal is being eroded by their recent cover releases and maybe a complete change of style.

Honestly, I doubt very much if this is the case. The Mongols are an extremely proud nation who have the greatest respect for their history and culture and will always put them at the forefront of their lives. The fact that they have done two covers only goes to show just how effortlessly they can switch from folk metal to contemporary rock and back again.