Review: The Hu - Bii Biyelgee
Despite being a fan of them for quite some time, I haven't gotten a chance to talk about the Mongolian metal band The Hu. To be fair, metal is a somewhat limited description for The Hu, since their music blends traditional Mongolian throat singing with folk instruments and rock guitars. Back in 2018, they garnered some international success with Yuve Yuve Yu and Wolf Totem. Now, with a second album, the band has released the single Bii Biyelgee.
I am quite surprised by how upbeat and positive Bii Biyelgee sounds. Most of The Hu's music can best be described as "post-apocalyptic Genghis Khan Mongol bike gang." They got really good at this sound, releasing some stone-cold classics, but it has always been great to see them expand their horizons, such as with the epic Yuve Yuve Yu. Bii Biyelgee is very different from even the aforementioned song, acting like a party song for those 1200s children of the steppes.
While the ambition has certainly lowered, Bii Biyelgee still manages to be a really fun track. I love the interplay between the rough throat singing and the graceful melodic strings. While there are certainly guitars and drums, this traditional core is the very basis of Bii Biyelgee, and a riveting one at that. If anything, I wished the song would go further in the folk direction! The bridge provides a wonderful woodwind, and I feel that it would work really well throughout the song, perhaps coming in at crucial moments.
Nonetheless, Bii Biyelgee is a fun little song. It may not be the grandest nor most poetic of The Hu's songs, but it can put a smile on your face while staying true to The Hu's steppe routes.
Rating: 8.5/10
Purchase The Hu's Bii Biyelgee, and its accompanying album, Rumble of Thunder, right here!
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