When Eihwar erupted onto the scene with “Viking War Trance”, it felt like someone had cracked open a portal to a forgotten ritual ground. The combination of pounding tribal percussion, trance‑driven electronics, and pagan‑themed atmospheres was unlike anything else in the folk‑adjacent underground. It was raw, hypnotic, and strangely intoxicating, the kind of record that didn’t just ask for your attention but demanded your submission.
With “Hugrheim”, the duo returns under the banner of Season of Mist, aiming to expand their sonic mythology and guide listeners into the “tenth hidden world of Yggdrasil.” It’s an ambitious premise, and the album certainly opens with confidence. “Nauðiz” and “Freyja’s Calling” immediately reintroduce the familiar Eihwar pulse: thick, earthy percussion, layered chants, and a trance backbone that keeps everything moving. These early tracks show that the band still knows how to craft a groove that gets under your skin.
As the album unfolds, it becomes clear that Eihwar is reaching for something more cinematic this time around. “Skuggaríki” and “The Lake of the Dead” lean heavily into atmosphere, painting mist‑covered landscapes and mythic realms with broad, ambient strokes. There’s a sense of world‑building here that wasn’t as pronounced on the debut; a desire to tell a story rather than simply conjure a ritual. When this approach works, it’s immersive and evocative, pulling the listener deeper into the band’s imagined universe.
But “Hugrheim” also reveals the limitations of Eihwar’s formula. Where “Viking War Trance” felt primal and unrestrained, “Hugrheim” often feels more controlled, more polished, and at times a bit too safe. The trance elements, once a refreshing twist, now occasionally drift toward predictability. “Heill Óðinn” is the clearest example: a track that leans so heavily into electronic production that it begins to resemble a club anthem wearing pagan war paint. It’s catchy, yes, but the artificial sheen pulls the listener out of the ritual rather than deeper into it.
The band’s use of a constructed language, a defining feature of their sound, also becomes more of a barrier here. On the debut, the rawness of the vocals made the invented tongue feel mysterious and ancient. On “Hugrheim”, the cleaner production exposes its artificiality. Without the grit and chaos that once masked the edges, the vocals sometimes feel detached from the emotional weight they’re meant to carry.
One of the more curious moments on the album is “Omenotharena (Warrior’s Training)”, which bears a striking resemblance to the “Kaer Morhen” themes from The Witcher 3. Whether intentional or not, the influence is unmistakable. It’s a pleasant track, atmospheric and well‑constructed, but the familiarity makes it harder for the song to stand on its own.
Despite these shortcomings, “Hugrheim” isn’t without heart. The closing track, “Berserkr (Tim’s Memorial Version)”, is a touching tribute to Tim K. Robb, translator and advisor to Eihwar. Slower and more reflective than the original, it adds emotional depth to the album’s finale and serves as a reminder that Eihwar’s project is more than just aesthetic; it’s a community, a shared mythology, and a creative world built with care.
In the end, “Hugrheim” is a record caught between evolution and repetition. It expands Eihwar’s universe, offers several memorable moments, and maintains the band’s unmistakable identity. But it also struggles to recapture the raw spark that made “Viking War Trance” so compelling. Perhaps the novelty has worn off a bit, or perhaps the band is still searching for the next step in their sonic journey.
Either way, “Hugrheim” remains worth exploring. It may not surpass its predecessor, but it keeps the ritual fire burning, even if the flames flicker more unevenly this time around.
Score: 65/100
Label: Season of Mist
Release date: March 13th, 2026
Reviewer: Michael
Tracklist:
- Nauðiz
- Freyja’s Calling
- Ein
- Skuggaríki
- Hugrheim
- Ljósgarðr
- Heill Óðinn
- The Lake of the Dead
- Omenotharena (Warrior’s Training)
- Berserkr (Tim’s Memorial Version)
