Nine Treasures (CN)

About

Also known as: The Nine Treasures, ᠶᠢᠰᠦᠨ ᠡᠷᠳᠡᠨᠢᠰ, 九宝

Nine Treasures bring together heavy metal and traditional Mongolian music in a way few bands have managed to pull off convincingly. Hailing from Inner Mongolia and founded in 2010, the group weave instruments like the morin khuur, balalaika, and jaw harp into their sound alongside Tuvan throat singing techniques, all while keeping their lyrics in Mongolian. Their name refers to nine materials celebrated in ancient Mongolian poetry as bringers of luck, and the band takes that auspiciousness seriously. After winning the Wacken Metal Battle in China in 2013 and placing second overall at Wacken Open Air, they spent years touring across Asia and Europe, building a following well outside their homeland. Their 2021 album Awakening from Dukkha was a deliberate fresh start, featuring re recordings from all three previous albums. Metal Hammer gave it a 9 out of 10. The band distributes its music independently through Bandcamp, and their lyrics draw on Mongolian nature, mythology, and the legends of Tengri, the chief Mongolian deity.