KING WOMAN – To Release “Created In The Image of Suffering” In February

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Atomic Garden, Black Sabbath, Created in the Image of Suffering, Deafheaven, Debut Album, Jack Shirley, King Woman, Kristina Esfandiari, Mazzy Star, Miserable, Oathbreaker, Relapse Records, Utopia, Whirr, Wreck And Reference

Led by the gaspy howls of charismatic vocalist Kristina Esfandiari, San Francisco’s King Woman unveil their debut full-length “Created In The Image of Suffering”, a profoundly crafted opus of brooding, ethereal doom-rock. With the hypnotic and breathy vocal dramatics of Kristina Esfandiari, King Woman harness the elastic textures and temporality of drone and metallic shoegaze alongside the transcendental, melancholic power of doom. Recorded with engineer Jack Shirley (Deafheaven, Wreck & Reference, Oathbreaker) at the Atomic Garden, “Created In The Image of Suffering”‘s seven compositions evoke rich, gloomy imagery with crumbling washes of blurred, billowing distortion densely layered atop hazy, psychedelic atmospheres that call to mind a surrealistic Black Sabbath fronted by Mazzy Star. Complete with deeply personal, introspective lyrics that serve as catharsis for years of religious and mental torment, King Woman truly suffer to create their art.

Photo: Rob Williamson

Kristina Esfandiari originally formed King Woman back in 2009, but the band had taken a backseat to her other projects at the time like Miserable and Whirr (with whom she played with from 2012 to 2013), where she found her confidence from a vigorous touring schedule of playing stage shows, floor shows, and everything in between. “Created In The Image of Suffering” is due out on February 24, 2017 via Relapse Records. The single “Utopia” is out now.

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KING WOMAN – Premiere Debut EP “Doubt” – Streaming Now!

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Black Sabbath, Burn, Candescent Soul, Colin Gallagher, Debut EP, Doubt, Joey Raygoza, King Of Swords, King Woman, Kristina Esfandiari, Miserable, Neurosis, PJ Harvey, Sky Madden, Sunn O))), The Flenser, Whirr, Wrong

Bay Area, CA’s KING WOMAN, fronted by vocalist Kristina Esfandiari (Ex-WHIRR, MISERABLE), will be releasing their first proper EP release on February 17th, 2015.  Titled “Doubt,” this EP finds KING WOMAN awash with churning and crumbling distortion providing a roiling, blackened backdrop for Esfandiari’s throaty, bewitching vocals like a twisted fusion of PJ HARVEY, SUNN 0))) and BLACK SABBATH.  A full stream of “Doubt” is available below!

Kristina Esfandiari originally formed KING WOMAN back in 2009, but the band had taken a backseat to her other projects at the time like MISERABLE and WHIRR (with whom she played with from 2012 to 2013), where she found her confidence from a vigorous touring schedule of playing stage shows, floor shows, and everything in between.  KING WOMAN got together very organically; Kristina said it just “…kind of happened.  I grew up with my drummer, Joey, and guitarist, Colin.  I asked Colin to play guitar for one of my shows and the rest is history.”  Kristina continued, “We wrote a lot of this EP by Colin sending me guitar ideas and I’d just sing over them, not realizing how good it was.  Soon we started getting Joey to jam with us, and then Sky wanted to play bass.  Now here we are.”  Colin Gallagher, who had given up on music entirely until he played guitar for Esfandiari’s other project, Miserable,  commented, “I was going through a lot of self-reflection.  For me, the songs are about struggling to change things.”  Esfandiari continued, “I started this project as a form of therapy for myself.  I wanted to work through being raised in an oppressive religious environment.  The theme is just the turbulent journey of de-converting from Christianity and finally coming out of the closet about it and being rejected by a lot of family members and friends because of it.”

“Doubt” touches on some heavy topics and allows Esfandiari’s lyrical ingenuity to really shine; with nods to issues like religious abuse, sex, metaphysics and heartbreak as well as physical abuse and “…tough topics that weigh heavily on my heart”, she says.  “I just write what feels right.”   Recorded with engineer Patrick Hills (Tera Melos, 7 Seconds, So Stressed) at Earth Tone in Sacramento, CA earlier this year, Doubt was mixed and produced by Esfandiari herself – which she described as “quite a challenge” – and the four resulting tracks are more cathartic, more brooding and more hypnotic than ever before.  The band wears their musical influence on their sleeve: “We love bands like BLACK SABBATH, OM, NEUROSIS and JESU”,  said Kristina, and with her lush and dramatic vocals not unlike MAZY STAR and even Beth Gibbons, KING WOMAN has created a sound all their own.

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