The enfants terribles of Season of Mist’s roster, Eihwar, are releasing a new single today. Known for their explosive fusion of Nordic folk and electro-industrial chaos, the clan continues to defy the solemnity of most pagan acts on “Hugrheim” with a style that is wild, cartoonish, and fiercely ritualistic.
As Eihwar themselves proclaim:
“Over the past few years, our souls have gradually taken over the bodies of two human musicians. Through incarnation, we lost much of our memories. All that remains are images, emotions, and fragments from our previous existence, mixed in with the thoughts and memories of our human hosts. In this new song, we evoke the memories that gradually come back to us: memories of Hugrheim, the tenth world of Yggdrasil, hidden and unknown to men. This world is shaped by the Hugr, the spirit. In this realm dwell the invisible forces of the soul and consciousness. When our vessels perish here and our incarnation ends, we will return to Hugrheim. Still, we hope to remain here as long as possible this time, because nowadays the beer is fucking good, the rockstar life is pretty damn cool, and dental anesthesia actually exists.”
Watch the video for “Hugrheim” Below:
Stream “Hugrheim”
Following a summer of electrifying festival appearances at Wacken Open Air, Resurrection Fest and Midgardsblot, as well as dates opening for The Hu, with “Hugrheim”, Eihwar present a song that both deepens their mythos and heightens their trance-driven energy.
The word “Hugrheim” comes from Old Norse roots. It can be understood as the realm of spirit, of memory, of consciousness. In the lore woven by Eihwar, their souls appear as reincarnated essences inhabiting human vessels, recalling fragments of their former existence. The song channels these recollections through warrior cries, horns, ritual percussion and machine-driven pulse, aligning Asrunn and Mark with pagan folk lineage while advancing into their own shamanic and celebratory, dance-driven terrain.
To celebrate “Hugrheim”, Eihwar are opening their new Traveling Merchant Webshop. This shop currently includes four t-shirt designs, one of which was only previously available at their concerts. It also holds the “Eihwar bindrune” medallion, which the duo describe as the “jewelry of the clan” - a symbolic extension of their ritual universe.
Shop at https://www.eihwar.com/
Eihwar’s debut album Viking War Trance is out now on Season of Mist.
Order & Stream
https://orcd.co/eihwarvikingwartrance
The video for “Hugrheim” was directed by Samuel Maurin and features actors Arya and Benoit Lala. The digital artwork showcases costume design by Yaelle Ghyselink.
Many bands have explored the Pagan & Norse worlds over the last 15 years seeking atmospheric, acoustic and ritual sounds with great seriousness. This is not the path EIHWAR chose.
Although the musicians of Eihwar are virtuosos in their acoustic traditional instruments, their goal is to bring some fun… and as much chaos as possible during their concerts, provoking the craziest trance on dancefloors. They bring a festive and furious neo-viking music whose primal force is based on technoid machines, mixed with trance vocals, shamanic drums and traditional Nordic sounds. Electronics are a ‘new steel’ for those modern warriors, cold and powerful. As the web already says, the duo is a kind of new ‘Viking Carpenter Brut’.
Lineup:
Asrunn — Vocals, Traditional Percussions
Mark — Vocals, Machines
Links:
Website: http://www.eihwar.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/eihwar.music
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/eihwar.music
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/@eihwar
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@eihwar