[Cover photo credit to Hattoo]

Metal Blade Records has welcomed Inner Mongolian Metal collective Nine Treasures to their roster. The band have previously released three albums and played European tours and festivals (Wacken Open Air, Woodstock Poland, etc).

Formed by vocalist/guitarist Askhan Avagchuud in 2010 in the autonomous region of Inner Mongolia in China, Nine Treasures combine Heavy Metal and traditional Mongolian instrumentation, utilizing both conventional vocals and Mongolian throat singing. Guitars, bass, and drums are combined with indigenous string instruments including the balalaika and the morin khuur (horsehead fiddle).

Comments Askhan Avagchuud (guitars, vocals, balalaika, tovshuur):

We are excited to be on Metal Blade. We’ve always been inspired by heavy American and European bands. America and Europe are very important for us to tour and create a relationship with Metal music fans from these countries we admire.

Nine Treasures has nearly completed a new record, more than five years in the making, which will arrive on Metal Blade next year. In the meantime, the band will re-release the twelve-song compilation album Awakening From Dukkha as well as a remaster of 2017’s Wisdom Eyes. A new video for the song “Wisdom Eyes” is out now.

Awakening From Dukkha collects re-recorded songs from Nine Treasures’ three studio LPs, 2012’s Arvan Ald Guulin Honshoor, 2013’s Nine Treasures and 2017’s Wisdom Eyes.

Askhan says about their evolution:

We experimented a lot and through our entire journey, we felt like we were getting better with each album. But the main vibe for us has always been the same, which was the pentatonic eastern music mixed with heavy metal. We don’t do half step notes often, that’s why the energy is similar throughout all of our albums.

However, they are planning some changes for their 2025 album.

They say:

This new album is different from any of our past releases. We added focused production detail and evolved the way we write music. We are focused on big riffs and inspiring moments that take our audience on a journey; that’s part of the tradition we grew up in.