THE HU & FIRE FROM THE GODS Are Brilliant In Bristol, UK [Review & Photo Gallery]

This is the second trip to Bristol and the UK by the Mongolian metal band The Hu. They have been taking the world by storm with their truly unique sound that shows off their native heritage as well as their influence from modern metal bands. Their style is completely different from anything else in the metal genre, and after their recent duet with Papa Roach’s Jacoby Shaddix on the track “Wolf Totem” it’s made them even more popular. Their support act this time around is the Texas based heavy metal band Fire From The Gods. The band has a way of appealing to a wide fan base as their sound can’t be pigeon holed to one genre, but they incorporate elements of metalcore, nu metal, traditional heavy metal, and thrash. Lead vocalist AJ Channer is the backbone of the band and his inspirational lyrics along with the bands immense groove have helped them establish a large following. Even though the band has been road dogs for the past several years constantly staying on tour this is Fire From The Gods first trip to the UK. That being said the fans tonight are in for one hell of a show as it will be their first time seeing Fire From The Gods and the chance to witness a once in a lifetime act like The Hu. On a side note I interviewed Fire From The Gods frontman AJ just before their set , you can check the interview out on Metal Nexus coming soon.

The die hard HU fans were in and loads of the crowd rocking their T-shirts and eager to witness frontman AJ and the Fire From The Gods lads to hit the stage. Suddenly the the house music dropped out, lights dimmed and one by one each member appeared on stage to a very loud and energetic crowd. They punched straight in with their hit single “The Voiceless” from the album ‘Narrative Retold,’ this track has everything an opening track for a set should have, with so much groove from drummer Richard Wicander, driving guitar riffs courtesy of Drew Walker and Jameson Teat, solid bass lines from Bonner Baker to a mix of aggressive screams and then mellow singing vocals from AJ. This track is an absolute banger for sure.

I stumbled upon a review previously saying AJ’s vocals weren’t on par live with what they sounded like on the album. I’m not sure what show the author of that review witnessed but AJ was spot on in every way, vocal delivery was straight fire tonight. Also a friend of mine was at a gig a few days earlier and told me that Fire From The Gods totally delivered and I second that motion, they kicked ass from start to finish. I know that Fire From The Gods don’t have a large presence or fanbase in the UK, but look out because if you missed them they will be back sooner than you think. I thought it would be a difficult task to support such a different style band like The HU, but regardless who the band is opening for it always seems they can align themselves with any fanbase and leave the stage knowing they made some lifelong fans. It was the same case in Bristol as  the crowd who was predominantly there to see The Hu got behind the Fire From The Gods set and made them feel very welcome. AJ asked the crowd to get ready to jump for the fifth track in their set with “In Spite Of Doubt.”  This track has groove for days and even without the instructions of the vocalist to jump the song will inspire you to do so anyways. Now for me I was looking forward to hearing my fave track from the bands latest album ‘American Sun’ called “Fight The World,” HELL YEAH what a moment to witness this live! For me personally and the crowd at The HU show tonight, we just witnessed Fire From The Gods at their very best and we at Metal Nexus look forward to witnessing them again on these shores again soon. I know they are touring the states in May with Hollywood Undead and Bad Wolves so look out…… Check their FBI (Face Book & Instagram) << Thats what AJ calls it in the interview… which will be available here on Metal Nexus in the coming week.

Next up was the biggest band in the entire country of Mongolia, that’s right The Hu. The last time they played in Bristol they had to change venues because tickets sold so quickly, and that was when the band was just taking off.  Fans were eagerly awaiting the band to step on stage and chants of “Hu Hu Hu” started and lasted until the band appeared and started performing the first song of their set “Shoog Shoog.” Of course the Mongolians sing in their native language and aren’t yet fluent in English, but they have learned enough to say “Thank you Bristol” and let their UK fans know they appreciate them. The native throat singing, and the traditional instruments like the morin khuur they combine with modern guitars, bass, drums and metal influence makes them one of the most unique bands in the world of music. It’s also amazing how they can incorporate these traditional instruments and so many members and maintain time on each track. Their sound was flawless, and you can tell the band has rehearsed countless hours to perfect their on stage performances. The band slayed a total of 13 songs and held out until the 10th song in their setlist to play the most anticipated hit “Wolf Totem,” and followed it up with another single “The Great Chinggas Khaan.” The closed things out with the track “This Is The Mongol.” The bands debut album ‘The Gereg’ released on September 14th, 2019 via Eleven Seven Records. Last year  The Hu were awarded the highest state award for Mongolia, the Order of Genghis Khan, for promoting Mongolian culture around the world. It’s good to see that even though the band’s music is vastly different from the traditional music that is often performed in their country that Mongolia is proud of their native sons and support what they are doing. The Hu have become a global phenomenon, if you haven’t seen this unique band perform live yet I would make it a priority. Until next time, keep your horns in the air and always support live music!