Scandinavia is no stranger to the doom-laden, sludged-out, proto metal machinations that keep our brains bursting with sound and our ears aching with sweet, effervescent pain. So it’s no surprise that Dunbarrow – Haugesund, Norway’s quintet that’s best filed next to Graveyard and Witchcraft – shred with that same proto doom flavor.

On their latest album “Dunbarrow II,” the follow-up to their 2016 self-titled debut, these five seasoned musicians spin a metallic web of songs into what they describe as an “eerie rawness,” bursting with heavy, vocally driven, haunting arrangements that don’t need all the distortion you’d usually find on a proto record. Instead, the songs are spread out in rhythm and mood, complimenting the album’s overall theme – love and despair – in an even tone. Imagine shadows evolving from the night, seeping out from the depths of darkness only to explode in warm embrace.

“Dunbarrow II” was recorded and mixed by the band’s own vocalist Espen Andersen, which ties this whole package together in an effortlessly clean package, highlighting the band’s talent and abilities as none other could. And with guitarist’s Kenneth Lønning savage shredding capabilities, the album plays like it’s straight from the vaults of late ’60s hard rock, in every configuration.

“Dunbarrow II” drops September 14th on RidingEasy Records – available via LP, CD, and download.