BeatRoute Magazine [AB] print e-edition - [March 2018]

KING WOMAN
queen of the harpies
BY CHRISTINE LEONARD
This Month
In METAL
There’s not enough space in these pages
to cover even a third of the great
heavy music acts coming through
Western Canada.
American power metallers Iced Earth
will perform at the Starlite Room on March
2 [Edmonton] and at the Marquee Beer
Market & Stage on March 3[Calgary].
Industrial crossover act Soulfly will perform
as Nailbomb, delivering the entirety of
their groundbreaking album Point Blank at
Dickens on March 5 [Calgary].
John Garcia of legendary space rockers
Kyuss will perform at Distortion on March
10 [Calgary].
Accept vocalist Udo Dirkschneider
will perform at the Marquee Beer Market
& Stage on March 15 [Calgary] and at the
Starlite Room on March 16 [Edmonton].
Despite our best efforts, we were not able
to get him on the horn.
Hazzerd, Blackest Sin, Meggido, Pervcore,
and more will play at Distortion on
March 16 [Calgary].
Manitoba Metalfest 2018 goes down
on March 16 – March 17 at the Park
Theatre [Winnipeg]. Bands performing
include legendary death thrashers
Demolition Hammer, as well as sets
by Skeletal Remains, Cancer Bats, and
Damascus, who are doing a “one time
only reunion show.”
Local stoner rockers Woodhawk perform
at the Ship & Anchor on March 21
[Calgary]. The following evening they’ll be
performing alongside Wolfrik and Highbernation
at the Starlite Room [Edmonton].
Seattle death metal act Fetid will
perform with Vern’s on March 23 [Calgary]
alongside Messiahlator, Pathetic, Cultist
and Full/Choke. The following evening,
head to the Sewing Machine Factory [Edmonton]
for Fetid with Begrime Exemious,
Pathetic, and Lutheran.
The second rendition of Covenant Montreal
will begin at La Sala Rossa on March
29 and runs until March 31 [Montreal]. The
fantastic black and death metal oriented
line-up includes Dead Congregation, Ruins
of Beverast, Thantifaxath, Auroch, Adversarial,
and more.
• Sarah Kitteringham
King Woman creates order out of chaos.
photo: Rob Williamson
It has been almost a decade since vocalist detailed numbers that have become their
Kristina Esfandiari founded the groundbreaking
calling card.
doom and drone crossover act
King Woman’s brooding debut full-
King Woman. During that time, what began length Created in the Image of Suffering,
as a bold solo project has blossomed into recorded at Jack Shirley’s Atomic Garden,
an even grander quartet featuring guitarist appeared in 2017 via Relapse Records and
Colin Gallagher, bassist Peter Arensdorf and earned much critical acclaim. Still, Esfandiari,
drummer Joey Raygoza. Known for questioning
who has collaborated with shoegazers
convention and pushing their melancholic Whirr in addition to sustaining her own
melodies into traditionally vascular heavy alter ego solo-project Miserable, felt that
metal territory, King Woman has gained comparisons
King Woman had yet to find the right
to SubRosa and Ides of Gemini while management. Enter Sargent House (home
crafting a lush and evocative dark wave sound to Russian Circles, Earth, Mutoid Man,
that is entirely their own.
Chelsea Wolfe, etc), who according to the
King Woman’s debut EP, Doubt (2014), vocalist “has been really amazing and kind
set off a volley of water-testing singles and of the perfect fit for us.”
EPs from the band and most recently a
As they embark on the next stage of
self-released cover of the Stone Roses track “I their journey, Esfandiari credits her steady
Wanna be Adored.” Unfortunately, Canadian bandmates for allowing their art to evolve at a
fans were denied the opportunity adore King gradual pace. In her mind the most gratifying
Woman when the group had to cancel their aspect of King Woman’s refusal to shy away
slot at Calgary’s 2017 installment of the Sled from discussing difficult subjects, such as
Island Music & Arts Festival due to a medical religious abuse and mental health, is how
emergency.
that honesty has proven to be a source of
“Our guitarist had cancer, so he had to go inner strength and inspiration for artist and
in for surgery and we had to cancel all our audience alike.
tour dates. It was very sudden. He’s still with “We’re currently working on new material
the band and he’s fine now, but it was a very and have already written about four songs for
emotional time for us,” explains Esfandiari. our new record,” she divulges.
“It just brought us together. We’re really, “It’s still being formed and coming into
really close and good at communicating as view. There’s some really deeply personal stuff
a band. And we were like, ‘His health is our from my childhood that I’ve never talked
priority right now and we’re not going to do about before that I’m incorporating into the
anything to stress him out.’ Last year was a bit songs. My favourite thing is being able to
hard, but now things are great. I would just emote and connect with the audience. It’s just
describe it as a sweet and sour low with lots of exciting to reveal the concepts behind new
different highs and lows and uncertainties, but albums and expose a new part of myself.”
we’ve regrouped and we’re in a good place.”
Recovered and ready to move forward King Woman performs with Russian Circles on
with their hypnotic storytelling, King Woman Wednesday, April 4 at Dickens [Calgary] and
has continued to produce the dramatic and Thursday, April 5 at Starlite Room [Edmonton].
SHRAPNEL BEATROUTE • MARCH 2018 | 45