"She's skipping, spinning, hollering and slapping the hell out of her frame drum when she’s not riling the crowd up." Mysterious Viking war trance duo Eihwar bring a party like no other to London

There’s an air of anticipation hovering around The Dome for Eihwar’s London debut. The mysterious French ‘Viking war trance’ duo’s mash-up of jaunty folk metal and pounding EDM beats has bewitched the metal underground - and, it would appear, annoyed a few Neo-folk gatekeepers.

Extended Heilung family member Mira Ceti warm us up, emerging from the dark under a shimmering arch like a mysterious end-of-level boss from a God Of War game. Her powerful voice shines through booming war drums and droning horns, and by the time her enjoyable set finishes, she’s clearly earned some new fans.

This show was upgraded from the smaller venue downstairs almost as soon as tickets had gone on sale, and the room feels pretty packed as the lights dim and the PA cuts to the sounds of crashing waves, signalling the arrival of one of the most surprising acts to come vaulting out of the French alternative scene in quite some time.

Main instrumentalist and co-vocalist Mark arrives first, unleashing his drowning Cookie Monster growl as he steps behind his decks-and-drum-pads set-up at the back of the stage. Then on strides lead singer Asrunn with a beaming ‘Alright, London!’ and before you know it, an atmosphere of curiosity becomes one of jubilation; heads begin nodding, fists begin pumping and assess begin shaking all over the place. This is indeed a party, and when dance floor bombs like Nauðiz and Freyja’s Calling drop, it’s one you can’t help but be swept up in.

With only two members, there’s a lot to be done to bring the energy of Eihwar’s music to life - the heavy reliance on a backing track will doubtless irk some. Luckily, they have an absolute ace in the hole with Asrunn; she’s a firecracker of a frontwoman, skipping, spinning, hollering and slapping the hell out of her frame drum when she’s not riling the crowd up, only letting energy levels drop when the set requires.

One such moment is a pleasant acoustic run through Sir Mannelig, after which she playfully mocks London for being a little shy with the singalongs. Really, though, this show is about the bangers, and Eihwar deliver them in spades, cynics be damned.

“Five months without playing on stage,” Asrunn exhales at one point, this being only their second show of 2026. “It’s so cool being back with you all.” You feel they’ll be back in an even bigger venue soon: this party’s just beginning.