Eihwar has struck again.
Straight out of the internet, the duo Mark (percussion/vocals/flutes/folk instruments) & Asrunn (vocals/drums) exploded onto the scene in 2023 via YouTube and won the hearts of every crowd they played to. Recently signed to Season of Mist, they released their second album, Hugrheim, in 2026.
Nicknamed “Viking War Trance” or “Electro Nordic Folk,” the band’s style is quite surprising: while openly inspired by Nordic folk giants such as Heilung, Danheim and Wardruna, the band adds its own decidedly more modern Electro touch. I was skeptical about this combination, but having seen the band live… it really works, and the audience is hooked in no time! While Mark handles most of the instrumentation, Asrunn puts on the show, singing and motivating the audience, proving once again that this kind of music is best experienced live. I can easily imagine the new compositions coming to life to the beat of the drums combined with samples and other vocal parts. The titles obviously refer to Norse mythology, but with a more modern, lively, and catchy twist that makes you want to dance, as on the joyful Freyja’s Calling, which contrasts with the intimate and disturbing Skuggaríki, which almost makes us want to peer into the surrounding darkness from which the instrumental seems to emerge. Fortunately, we quickly return to festive tones on Hugrheim, the eponymous track, but also on the unifying Heill Óðinn, which will undoubtedly take on a much more lively dimension on stage, relying on the singer to motivate the crowds. I also note the disturbing The Lake of the Dead, a track that is too calm to be truly soothing, as well as Berserkr (Tim’s Memorial Version), a more solemn reinterpretation of the track Berserkr from the first album, which hits the mark at every concert.
Whether you are open to experimentation in traditional Folk or not, I can only advise you to go and experience Eihwar for yourself. The tracks on Hugrheim all have their own atmosphere and will fit perfectly into their setlists, so why deprive yourself?
75/100