September 9, 2026
Great American Music Hall, San Francisco
Words and photos by Geoffrey Smith II
As a photographer first and writer second, I’m a sucker for bands with a strong visual theme. Both Eihwar and Frayle have masterfully crafted visual brands for their projects, but it’s not to prop up uninspired music. And after seeing them perform at the Great American Music Hall this past Wednesday, September 9th, I came away a fan.
I intentionally kept myself in the dark about their music prior to the show, wanting the event to be a surprise; it was not unlike skipping trailers for a film you plan on seeing.
En route to the venue, the biggest question in my mind was how Eihwar would set themselves apart from bands like Wardruna and Heilung. Those two are well-established in the Scandinavian folk metal realm, which isn’t a very big genre to begin with. Of course, if you’re familiar with Eihwar’s music, you’ll know this was a fundamentally flawed concern. While aesthetics and instrumentation might overlap between these artists, Eihwar is an altogether different animal.
Where Wardruna and Heilung lean into ceremony, traditional songs, and instruments performed in a style anchored in historical accuracy, Eihwar takes those cultural influences and turns them into a party. Operating as a simple duo with a few basic instruments and a laptop, Eihwar’s “Viking Tribal Trance” style gave me industrial nightclub déjà vu.
The deep, booming percussion, danceable BPMs, electronic production, and raw vocal trade-offs between vocalist Asrunn and producer/multi-instrumentalist Mark (yes, just “Mark”) had me thinking they could easily win over the crowd at an industrial music festival if given the chance. Looking around the venue, I saw a lot of people in conventional streetwear and wondered why more people from adjacent dark and electronic music scenes hadn’t caught on to them. While attendance was modest (the upstairs was roped off, and the downstairs was perhaps 70% full), the crowd managed to fill out most of the space with a mix of casual dancing and bizarrely friendly circle pits that resembled more of a conga line than a mosh pit.
The overall tempo of the set was fairly aggressive, but Eihwar kept it right at a sweet spot that maintained the momentum of the night without totally wiping everyone out. Their performance started off with ambient sounds, hand drums, and vocals, as light fog drifted across the stage and the air conditioning finally switched on. Asrunn prowled around the stage, locking eyes with audience members and gently asking them to put away their phones to experience the show in real-time, while red and green lights swept the space. Behind the stage, a backdrop with simple, shifting textures and visuals cycled with the band’s logo overlapping. It was nothing too fancy, serving just enough to add ambiance. Meanwhile, Mark worked his e-drum pads and delivered a voice so deep and heavy it felt like it should have come from someone twice his size.
Inside the venue, the hot and humid air took a toll on everyone. Asrunn was audibly gasping for breath between tracks near the end, making a mid-set acoustic break a welcome breather for both the audience and the band (she claimed to be “stinky and sticky” in her invitation for post-show selfies). Mark pulled out an acoustic guitar, joined her on the edge of the drum riser, and sat for a couple of stripped-down songs that felt closer to a ren faire than a rave, providing the perfect reset before they resumed the high-energy portion of the show.
Opening the two-band bill was Cleveland’s self-described “doom” band Frayle, who played a brief but perfect 35-minute (or thereabout) set. They are so much more than just doom metal; their music has nuance, mood, and a theatrical quality that elevates it, even if the droning and low-end aspects keep it anchored in that universe.
Framed by four-foot vertical band banners mounted on candelabras, their drummer and guitarist performed in robes and masks, while their bassist added great physical energy on stage left, working the strings in an oddly geometrical way, and occassionally rocking a “bass face.” Frontwoman Gwyn Strang delivered a seductive, airy voice that gave their heavy riffs a unique contrast, especially during their crowd-pleasing cover of Lana Del Rey’s “Summertime Sadness.” They put a ton of effort into interacting with the front row, posing for cameras and phones, and handing out setlists.
Going into a show with minimal research offers a rare payoff these days. Social media has stripped away all of the mystique from a band before they hit the stage, giving you arguably too much insight into their process and daily life. Getting to see Eihwar and Frayle as enigmatic figures that surprised me in real time was a wonderful experience.
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