King Woman
King Woman | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Colin Gallagher (L) and Kristina Esfandiari performing live in 2017. | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | San Francisco, California |
| Genres | Doom metal[1] |
| Years active | 2009–present |
| Members | Kristina Esfandiari Joey Raygoza Peter Arensdorf |
| Past members | Colin Gallagher Patrick Hills Sky Madden |
King Woman is an American doom metal band from San Francisco, California, formed by singer/guitarist Kristina Esfandiari. The band's lyrics largely address Esfandiari's childhood years in a cult-like charismatic Christian community in Northern California.[1] The band has released two albums in between several of Esfandiari's other projects in disparate genres.[2]
History
[edit]Esfandiari first formed King Woman in 2009 as a solo project, in addition to her work fronting several other bands, Due to her commitments elsewhere, the first King Woman release did not occur until 2013. The single "Degrida/Sick Bed" featured musical support from Jess Labrador of the bands Tied to the Branches and Chasms.[2] Esfandiari positioned King Woman in the doom metal genre to emphasize the often disturbing lyrics about her childhood religious experiences.[3] According to one journalist who assessed the lyrics, "Esfandiari has lived through hell, and came out swinging a microphone cord."[4] Others noted the influence of feminism in Esfandiari's examinations of religion,[5] and a focus on the status of women in the heavy metal community.[6]
Esfandiari expanded King Woman into a full band with guitarist Colin Gallagher, bassist Peter Arensdorf, and drummer Joey Raygoza. This lineup released the EP Doubt in 2015,[7] and began regularly playing live in the San Francisco Bay area.[1] The band had two bases of operations after Esfandiari moved to Brooklyn, New York before the release of their first album.[8] During this period, King Woman toured as the opening act for Pentagram, but attracted news coverage by publicly pulling out of the tour due to inappropriate behavior by Pentagram leader Bobby Liebling.[9][10]
The band signed with Relapse Records in 2016, and their first full-length album Created in the Image of Suffering was released in 2017.[11] Reviewers noted how the band mixed doom metal with shoegaze and sludge rock sounds.[12] Several music journalists named the album as one of the best heavy metal albums of the year.[13][14][15] Esfandiari maintained the career of King Woman concurrently with other projects that also released new music during this period, such as the rap-oriented project Dalmatian[16] and the shoegaze act Miserable.[17]
Guitarist Gallagher left the band before their second album, and Arensdorf played both bass and lead guitar on their next release. Their second album Celestial Blues was released in 2021, and expanded the band's sound with experiments in grunge and post-rock.[18] That album's lyrics were noted by journalists for being more positive than those in the band's previous works, with a focus on transcending one's childhood traumas.[19] The band's output then became more sporadic as Esfandiari focused on other projects, but a stand-alone single titled "Bury" was released in 2024.[20]
Members
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Discography
[edit]Albums
[edit]- Doubt (EP, 2015)
- Created in the Image of Suffering (2017)
- Celestial Blues (2021)
References
[edit]- 1 2 3 Buskin, Zack (28 March 2018). "Kristina Esfandiari's path to King Woman was a painful one". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 22 June 2026.
- 1 2 Phares, Heather. "King Woman: Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved 2026-06-20.
- ↑ Bienstock, Richard. "King Woman Singer on Finding Her Voice Through Doom, Inspiration in Psychedelics". Revolver. Retrieved 2026-06-22.
- ↑ Kelly, Kim (2017-02-21). "Bow Your Head and Listen to King Woman's Transcendental New Album". VICE. Retrieved 2026-06-22.
- ↑ Alexander, Jeff. "King Woman: Kristina Esfandiari's New Clarity". The Big Takeover. Retrieved 2026-06-22.
- ↑ "Ladies to the fucking front! KING WOMAN's Kristina Esfandiari Stands up for Women in Metal - CVLT Nation". 2016-02-25. Retrieved 2026-06-22.
- ↑ "King Woman - Doubt". Invisible Oranges. 7 April 2015. Retrieved 2026-06-22.
- ↑ Mejía, Paula (2017-09-27). "King Woman Singer Kristina Esfandiari on Using Dark Sounds to Heal". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2026-06-22.
- ↑ Jones, Cat (2016-06-07). "This Is Why Wax Idols and King Woman Dropped Off Their Tour with Pentagram". VICE. Retrieved 2026-06-22.
- ↑ Kitteringham, Sarah (2 November 2018). "Miserable: King Woman Singer Details Spiritual, Proudly Feminist New EP". Bandcamp Daily. Retrieved 22 June 2026.
- ↑ "King Woman Announce New Album 'Created In The Image Of Suffering'". New Noise Magazine. December 13, 2016. Retrieved July 26, 2018.
- ↑ Mejia, Paula (2017-02-15). "King Woman Wrestles With Creation's 'Shame'". NPR. Retrieved 2026-06-22.
- ↑ "The 100 Best Albums of 2017". Noisey. Vice Media. 6 December 2017. Retrieved July 26, 2018.
- ↑ Sodomsky, Sam (28 December 2017). "The 10 Best Metal Albums of 2017". Pitchfork. Retrieved July 26, 2018.
- ↑ Music, Guardian (22 December 2017). "The best albums and tracks of 2017: how our writers voted". The Guardian. Guardian News and Media Limited. Retrieved July 26, 2018.
- ↑ "See King Woman Singer Wield Sword to Slay Monsters in Dalmatian's Eerie New Video". Revolver. 31 October 2020. Retrieved 2026-06-22.
- ↑ Brownholtz, Mandy (2017-02-08). "How Kristina Esfandiari Balances King Woman and Miserable". CLRVYNT. Retrieved 2026-06-22.
- ↑ Kelly, Kim (2 August 2021). "King Woman - Celestial Blues". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on 2021-08-02. Retrieved 6 August 2021.
- ↑ Erickson, Anne (2021-06-29). "Beyond the Boys' Club: Kris Esfandiari of King Woman". Consequence. Retrieved 2026-06-22.
- ↑ Lesuer, Mike (18 June 2024). "An Introductory Guide to the King Woman Extended Universe". FLOOD. Retrieved 2026-06-22.