King Woman
Created In The Image Of Suffering
(Relapse Records)
From King Woman’s debut record, Doubt the impression that I took was that vocalist and chanteuse, Kristiana Esfandiari was the band’s unmistakable dark star. And cast none of that aside now, Esfandiari fits the bewitching role of drone spell caster, pale hand in dark glove. At the microphone, she weaves breathy calls and tones into a hypnotic spectacle. That 2014 album proved she was the perfect compliment to King Woman’s enigmatic presence in the post-metal world.
The San Francisco trio’s newest record, Created In The Image Of Suffering feels driven by something more than a singular force. Churning instrumentation, smoldering songwriting and the harrowing skylark wail from Esfandiari work together in dark concert. Their tracks like “Shame” and “Deny” are agonizingly gorgeous in their simultaneous evocation of doom and ascendance. “Warn” feels like their warding tune, desperate to cast out black thoughts, hard feelings. The whole record is like an aural Franzetta painting, a warbling bird soaring in an ascending spiral out of the cauldron. Of the collection though, the stand out track is “Hierophant” – and it may already be one of the best heavy tracks of 2017. I can listen to the crashing guitars and undulating rhythm section over and over, deeply internalizing a tale of loss and misunderstanding with a lyrical refrain, “you’re a holy church/I want to worship” that clings to the bones.
Esfandiari remains a star here; she still embodies the band’s bold moniker, but they are emerging around her like an army. Our world is thirsty for more complicated female heroes now, and it seems like King Woman has chosen to answer that call in a powerful way, creating a big sound and story around their icon. The result is one of the most unique drone/post-metal albums in recent memory, one to turn to over and over again.
