“We are to Vikings what the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are to turtles.” Eihwar have brought chaos to the European folk metal scene with their Viking war trance – could they be its next big thing?

Up on the stage in front of Hammer, a woman dressed in a furry loincloth two-piece, wolf skull and facepaint crouches down to the floor, beating the crap out of a Shaman drum as she yodels her head off. Behind her, a menacing-looking fella adorned in a Viking spangenhelm and chainmail peers out from the darkness, banging his war drums as an irresistible EDM beat blares over the speakers. Around us, a mixture of metalheads, pagans, wytches and weirdos are throwing serious shapes. This is the cult of Eihwar, and judging by this packed-out Dome in North London, it’s taking over.

“The idea for Eihwar imposed itself on us,” Asrunn tells us later, wolf skull still sat atop her head. They remain in character throughout our conversation, the latest in a line of lore-building artists to invade the metal world. We are told that they aren’t merely two human musicians, but ancient Norse spirits that have possessed human musicians. “We do not choose our incarnations,” Asrunn points out. “In a way, we do not choose the missions we are meant to fulfil.”

So what’s Eihwar’s mission, then?

“Doing a fair amount of reckless things,” growls Mark through his helmet. “Laughing loudly, headbanging until we nearly break a vertebra and pushing back our deepest fears together.”

So far, so mysterious. Of course, this is 2026; nobody stays truly mysterious in metal, and if you’re gagging to find out Asrunn and Mark’s real back stories, ‘tis but a Google away. But where’s the fun in that? Here are some facts they’re happy to share: Eihwar was formed in France in 2023, dropping an eight-minute banger called The Forge onto streaming services that blew up in Nordic folk circles.

A smattering of tracks followed before a debut album landed the next year, titled Viking War Trance – the perfect moniker for their riotous mix of jaunty folk metal and pulsating dance music, all wrapped in Norse mythology and world-building. Imagine Heilung and Carpenter Brut dancing around a campfire together and you’re someway there.

Since that first album dropped, Eihwar’s reputation has grown apace – shows at landmark Euro fests like Midgardsblot and Bloodstock have sparked elation, curiosity and not a little cynicism, some stewards of the European trad-folk movement questioning whether the duo are truly enveloped in the Norse universe their characters inhabit, or simply hiding in it to ride a cheap gimmick.

When Hammer asks whether they’ve personally experienced any shittiness from the scene, however, they shake their heads in surprise.

“Not at all,” insists Mark. “We have shared the stage with many bands and had some remarkable encounters. We were very honoured to be invited to play at Midgardsblot, a festival that brings together the folk scene in Europe. Every new meeting with musicians from the folk scene in real life has been a pleasure so far.”

Eihwar – Nauðiz (Official Music Video) – YouTube

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It’s all led to this year’s Hugrheim album, Eihwar’s second and a full-hearted continuation of the brilliantly fun vibes of their debut. This one comes wrapped in a thick but digestible concept: Hugrheim is the hidden tenth world of Yggdrasil, the cosmic, world-linking tree at the centre of the Viking universe (if you’re well educated in Viking mythology or have watched Loki season 2, you’ll be well up to speed). Put simply: the album is here to tell its story.

“We wanted to speak about the world we come from,” Mark explains. “Hugrheim is a world in constant flux, a world shaped by the mind. Our emotional states manifest into reality. Our deepest fears can take the form of monsters, while our greatest hopes can paint rainbows across the sky.”

Alright, let’s cut the mythical mumbo-jumbo for a second and talk logistics: Eihwar’s set-up as a two-piece means they employ a backing track on stage to help with some of the extra instrumentation. Do they plan to add more members to the band to take up the slack?

“Our music requires an electronic setup,” Mark says, much more matter-of-factly. “Over time, our performance may include external contributors, but always in service of scenography, theatrical elements and lighting. There will never be an orchestra with a tagelharpa in every key on stage. If we continue to grow, we have many ideas to create highly inventive stage productions; we are not yet building a Daft Punk-style pyramid, but who knows, maybe one day.”

You don’t see Daft Punk get dropped as a reference point very often around here, but that speaks to what a unique proposition Eihwar are. Part metal gig, part forest rave, part ritual, they’re currently packing one of the most idiosyncratic live shows in our world, and at this rate, those shows are only going to get bigger.

“We devote 100% of our energy to connecting with the audience and creating a festive and joyful moment,” says Mark. “That is where the authenticity and sincerity of our approach truly lie. We also try not to take ourselves too seriously. We are to Vikings what the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are to turtles, and that’s just how it should be.”

So what’s the endgame? What does Eihwar hope for their future while they grace this world with their presence?

“That it lasts as long as possible,” Asrunn says sagely. She pauses before adding with a smirk: “and that our human hosts don’t die too soon to enjoy it!”

Hugrheim is out now via Season Of Mist