There are a great many Doom Metal bands with female vocals. The German trio,  DAEVAR, takes their place among similar bands like ACID KING, CIMINERO, and WINDHAND, just to name a few. "Delirious Rites," DAEVAR's debut EP, is in familiar territory. I hope this review serves to inform you as to whether this record is worth your precious time.

The opener, "Slowshine," features plenty of reverb on the bass guitar. Also, Pardis Latifi's vocals are content to take a backseat on this track, as well as on the entire EP. Upon first listen, they appeared to fade too much into the background, much like on CIMINERO's, "Shadows Digging The Grave." Further plays proved that, while the vocals are somewhat minimized, this is not to the detriment of the EP. Latifi's ethereal, soulful vocals complement the plodding drums and slow, heavy riffs quite well. The lead guitar solo is also a highlight.

The fourth track, "Leviathan," is considerably longer than the rest of the tracks on display. Admittedly, I am a sucker for a well-developed long-form metal song. "Leviathan" most definitely fits into that category. This is by far my favorite track on "Delirious Rites." The powerful riffs, coupled with the slow, melancholy drumming work well. There are plenty of builds that culminate in exciting payoffs. The guest vocals from Jan Oberg are the secret ingredient that the EP needs. Throw in two lead guitar solos, and you have a near-mandatory track that delivers on all accounts.

The fifth and final track, "Yellow Queen," doesn't meet the heights of the previous track, but serves as somewhat of a palate-cleanser. The riffs are thick and meaty. The lead guitar solo is lots of fun. The bass is big and fuzzy, and everything comes together well. Unfortunately, none of the other tracks measure up to the mighty "Leviathan," but "Yellow Queen" is still a fitting closer.

The Bandcamp blurb for this EP classifies DAEVAR's sound as falling nicely in between that of SLEEP and PARADISE LOST. I have to humbly disagree. There is precious little on "Delirious Rites" that rises to the level of those two subgenre heavyweights. I would classify them as falling somewhere between ACID KING and WINDHAND. This EP is enjoyable and has a lot going for it, however, the tracks sound similar and do little to transcend the confines of their chosen subgenre.