This band of Minnesota miscreants plays some of the dirtiest, most crushing doom metal out there, which they temper with some tasty blues rock solos. More than a one-trick pony, they have a created an interesting hybrid that is totally their own. On their debut recording — and first for new extreme metal label Cubo De Sangre — Vulgaari bring the punishment and deliver a tasty slab of downturned heaviness.

“A World Created” opens with a lumbering, dirt-encrusted riff and some bear-like growls before taking some detours into droning atmospheres and creepy movie samples to draw the listener into the void. “Battlestag” throws in a slight hard rock gallop, as well as some of those aforementioned bluesy solos, while “Match,” with it’s elegiac opening guitar solo, flies skyward while the main riff keeps it rooted in the mud. This is some quite heavy, funeral blues. “Lies” opens with some samples of the great horned one before settling into a crusty, sludgy, evil crawl that features even more out-there solos. “77 74” is a slow-burning biker anthem that features some crazy noisy parts and a good sense of dynamics, while “Forever Roam” rises up with more solos.

Vulgaari has created a fine debut album, one that should please all fans of the slow and heavy, as well as fans of heavy music in general. It makes a great debut for this new label, and the quality on display bodes well for the future of the band and also of the label.

(Cubo De Sangre, PO Box 44551, Kamuela HI, 96743)