ALBUM REVIEW: Celestial Blues – King Woman

Celestial Blues is quite possibly the perfect pair of words to describe the bizarre and unique sound of KING WOMAN. Helmed by the unmistakable vocals and stage presence of Kris Esfandiari, the music created is lamentational, ethereal and otherworldly, yet with much of the instrumentation and structure rooted in heavy, bluesy melodies. 

Celestial Blues plays on Biblical imagery as a way to speak about rebellion, betrayal and despair, all held together by Esfandiari’s utterly believable presence as angel, devil and deity. “Lucifer, falling from the heights,” she sings on Morning Star, in a voice which sounds apathetic and seductive, over a mixture of shoegaze and doom instrumentation. “You know it could have been you/So don’t you dare judge the things that I do” is another lyrical highlight. 

The themes of religion have always been present in KING WOMAN‘s music, but they are even more pronounced on this second full length. It’s bursting with twisted tales that are reminiscent of those we’ve heard since time began, but with the uglier side of religion and faith exposed for all to see. 

The driving drums of Coil kick the album into a higher gear after multiple slow and morose tracks. This is another setting that KING WOMAN proves they can work on. “Five wounds you/Five wounds to take me/Five wounds had me dead/Five wounds you raped me/But I resurrect” Esfandiari screams in a punk-like snarl. When she sings the word “payback” as if she’s savouring every last morsel, we truly believe she will have her revenge.

Even the mellowest song on the album, Entwined, a love song, is filtered through the lens of religious fervour; “the Gods rejoice at our first kiss… I wanna heal your wounds/Whispered through the ether.” In this way, KING WOMAN makes the love song fit perfectly within the album’s conceit instead of sticking out like a sore thumb. It’s desperate, pleading, slightly unhinged and obsessive. And truly disturbing.

Things are wrapped up perfectly with album closer Paradise Lost, a menacing yet delicate lamentation about loss and grief. Vulnerability is the name of the game on this last track, but it’s something Esfandiari does in a way which makes her seem all the stronger and more impressive in all her masochistic honesty. 

Building on the success of their debut album, 2017’s Created In The Image of Suffering, KING WOMAN had a lot to prove, and they’ve risen to the challenge. This album is a more dynamic, diverse and energetic release than their debut offering, and it proves that the band can expand their sound further than the more straightforward witchy, doomy shoegaze of their previous material.

This time round, the songs fit together like a mismatched group of outcasts on a primary school playground – all different but brought together by the few things they have in common. This is a masterclass in creating disturbing music; it’s an album guaranteed to get under your skin in a subtle way. Whether it’s the ethereal and doomy atmosphere created by the instruments, or Esfandiari’s uncanny and pessimistic observations of the dark underside of daily life, this is one of the most uncomfortable albums you will listen to this year.

Rating: 10/10

Celestial Blues is set for release on July 30th via Relapse Records.

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