King Woman is fronted by former Whirr vocalist Kristina Esfandiari. The group’s debut 12-inch Doubt unfurls lugubriously, blossoming into a haunting sprawl of crushing, slo-mo miserablism. Imagine some twisted fusion of PJ Harvey, Sunn 0))) and Black Sabbath. Churning washes of crumbling distortion and tar-pit riffage drift grimly through billowing clouds of dense, layered thrum; roiling backdrops for Esfandiari’s throaty, bewitching vocals. The sonic heft is matched by lyrical themes of family and religious abuse, and the suffering borne of both.
