NINE TREASURES w/ Haishen

Snug Harbor, Charlotte

Few bands can claim to have an identity and sound as remarkable as Nine Treasures. The folk-metal heroes – whose members derive from the autonomous region of Inner Mongolia in China – formed in 2010.

Three albums, millions of streams and several European tours and festival shows (Wacken Open Air, Woodstock Poland) later, Nine Treasures are well on their way to accomplishing their goal of a Mongolian metal revolution. The band’s music is a unique combination of old school heavy metal and traditional Mongolian folk which sees them utilise both conventional vocals and Mongolian throat singing. Likewise, guitars, bass and drums collide with traditional string instruments such as the balalaika and the morin khuur, resulting in a sonic kaleidoscope that follows no set template. Unlike much of contemporary rock and metal, there are no rules when it comes to Nine Treasures – something which makes the quality of the band’s output all the more impressive.

Now, Nine Treasures head into 2021 armed with a new ‘Best Of’ album titled Awakening from Dukkha that collects songs from their three studio LPs (2012’s Arvan Ald Guulin Honshoor, 2013’s Nine Treasures and 2017’s Wisdom Eyes). A celebration of the past it may be, but for the band, this decade-spanning collection is as much a rebirth for Nine Treasures as it is an acknowledgment of their achievements to date.

Haishen (??; god of the sea) combine crushing metal, heady prog, and Chinese mythological and musical influences for a sound that resonates far beyond the shores of the band’s home city of Rochester, New York.

The trio’s 2020 self-titled debut EP received positive reviews and radio play within the US as well as in places as far away as Eastern Europe and Central Asia. In late 2020, Haishen signed to Nashville-based label Needlejuice Records, re-releasing their EP in April 2021 with an updated mix/master.

Following a nineteen-month absence from performing due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Haishen returned to the stage with a vengeance. Since October 2021, they have gigged regularly, embarking on a tour in April 2022. The band are nearing completion of their ambitious first full-length release, and continue pushing creative and musical boundaries.