New dance for Eihwar.
Since appearing on YouTube in 2023, the duo Asrunn (vocals/traditional percussion) and Mark (vocals/drum pad/samples) have fascinated audiences with their unique blend. In 2024, the band unveiled their second album, Viking War Trance, in collaboration with Season of Mist.
While many bands before them have explored the art of Nordic folk music, Eihwar‘s approach is quite different. Asrunn‘s tribal percussion, coupled with his enchanting clean vocals and Mark‘s huskier, guttural vocals, are evident in their tracks, but their secret lies in the use of samples and the drum pad, which add those more modern, upbeat touches. And while coupling the two aspects might seem anachronistic or even taboo to some… the mix perfectly works, and allows the duo to launch into catchy accelerations that are highly effective, whether on album or live (proof of which was at this year’s Hellfest, for example).
As for the tracks, three of them – Ragnarök, Fenrir and Berserkr – are marked “Viking War Trance Reforged”, as they were already present on the first album, Ragnarök, and have therefore been slightly reworked. The other tracks are new, and all have their own unique touch, such as the federating spirit of Viking War Trance, the eponymous track with which the album opens, the gentleness of Völva’s Chant or the mysterious quietude that animates Geri And Freki over more than half the composition. Keyboards give Baldr an interesting energetic touch, while Mjölnir is much more diversified and takes us through several atmospheres before letting the short Sir Mannelig close the album with this famous Swedish story, which the two musicians adapt in their own way.
If you’re not averse to experimentation and have already felt the call of the Great North, Eihwar is the perfect band for you. Let Viking War Trance sweep you off your feet, and don’t forget to follow the beat!
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