🎶 Eihwar
🌎 France
📀  Hugrheim
® Season of Mist
📅 13/03/2026

EIHWAR—that is, Asrunn and Mark—are a truly unique band. They formed as recently as 2023, and within just two or three years, they’ve gone on to play at Hellfest and Wacken and embark on their own European tour. How did they pull this off? By blending the hypnotic pagan anthems of the North with electronic, pop, and trance elements.

Their new album, “Hugrheim,” is the epitome of all of the above. Their talent for writing songs that stick in the listener’s mind is perhaps their greatest strength. This becomes immediately clear with the album’s first three tracks. The marching-style “Naudiz,” the groovy “Freyja’s Calling” with its abundance of folk-inspired sounds, and the hypnotic “Ein” fully capture what EIHWAR aims to convey to their audience. Somewhere around there, the first chapter of the album closes with the instrumental “Skuggariki,” which sets the stage for another powerful trio.

The album’s title track, accompanied by a mesmerizing video, open the second chapter of the album and feels somewhat like our ultimate destination: the hidden tenth world of Yggdrasil (the sacred, gigantic tree of Norse mythology, also known as the World Tree, which connects the nine worlds—including Asgard and Midgard—through its branches and roots). “Hugrheim” is the song that will become the anthem of the celebrations marking the achievement of the goal, and the warriors will dance to it around the World Tree. “Ljosgardr” tones things down a bit and speaks of the healing light of the stars and the magic of Yggdrasil’s tenth world with its glowing gardens of light. The third and final track of this chapter is “Heill Odinn,” one of the singles released—and rightly so. An ode to the god Odin, characterized by Asrunn’s crystalline voice and Mark’s powerful, primal scream.

And so we arrive at the album’s final trio of tracks. It begins with the atmospheric “The Lake of The Dead,” a haunting narrative by Mark, who takes on the role of the hero crossing the lake while hearing the call of the Tenth World, which he cannot resist. Having entered a warlike mood, “Omenotharena (Warrior’s Training)” returns to distinctly folk-inspired paths and rhythmic drums that set the tone. The album closes with the emotionally charged “Berserker” (Tim’s Memorial Version), dedicated to the memory of Tim K. Robb, who was a friend of the band and their translator during their first steps. The song is essentially a guitar ballad, yet it exudes immense energy through the power of Asrunn’s voice.

“Hugrheim” is a folk musical fairy tale infused with contemporary elements. Something like a modern Cinderella. EIHWAR draws its strength from catchy rhythms, dynamic drums, the use of traditional instruments, and the contrasting yet harmoniously intertwined voices of Asrunn and Mark. And so, we have in our hands one of the best albums of the genre in recent years.

★ 8.5/10
✍🏻 Kostas Boudoukos