Celestial Blues

Last updated
Celestial Blues
Celestial Blues by King Woman - cover art.jpg
Studio album by
Released30 July 2021
StudioThe Atomic Garden, Oakland, California
Genre Doom metal, grunge, [1] post-rock [2]
Length40:52
Label Relapse
Producer kris Esfandiari
King Woman chronology
Created in the Image of Suffering
(2017)
Celestial Blues
(2021)

Celestial Blues is the second studio album by Kristina Esfandiari-fronted American doom metal band King Woman, released on July 30, 2021 through Relapse Records. It follows King Woman's debut album, 2017's Created in the Image of Suffering . The album was recorded by Jack Shirley in December 2019 at The Atomic Garden in Oakland, California. [3] [2] Like Created in the Image of Suffering, Celestial Blues is thematically-inspired by Esfandiari's childhood with her charismatic Christian parents. [4]

Contents

The album received favorable reviews from critics, [5] who praised its themes, [3] performances, [2] [1] and production. [6] Celestial Blues debuted at No. 13 on the Billboard Current Rock Albums Chart. [7]

Writing and recording

Esfandiari wrote each of the album's 9 tracks and was responsible for the production and sound design, which took place in December 2019 at The Atomic Garden in Oakland, California. [4] Jack Shirley was responsible for recording, mixing and mastering the album. [4] In the absence of former guitarist Colin Gallagher, Peter Arsendorf played both bass and guitar on Celestial Blues, Joey Raygoza again featured on drums and Esfandiari performed on vocals. [6]

Release and promotion

The release of Celestial Blues was preceded by the release of three singles. "Morning Star" was released on June 2, 2021, accompanied by a one-shot music video directed by Muted Widows. [8] "Psychic Wound" followed on June 30, 2021, [9] also with a video directed by Muted Widows. The final single "Boghz" was released on July 14, 2021, and premiered on Office Magazine. [10]

Celestial Blues was released by Relapse Records on July 30, 2021. In its first week of release, it reached Billboard chart positions of number four on Current Hard Music Albums, number nine on Independent Current Albums, number 13 on Current Rock Albums, number 35 on Current Album Sales, and number 43 on Vinyl Albums. [7]

Critical reception

Celestial Blues ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic 83/100 [5]
Review scores
SourceRating
Beats Per Minute 83/100 [3]
Kerrang! 4/5 [1]
Pitchfork 7.5/10 [2]
Sputnikmusic4.5/5 [6]

According to the review aggregator Metacritic , Celestial Blues received "universal acclaim" based on a weighted average score of 83 out of 100 from 5 critic scores. [5] Angela Davey of Kerrang! gave the album 4/5, comparing Esfandiari's vocals to PJ Harvey's on Is This Desire? . [1] John Amen of Beats per Minute gave the album 83%, calling Esfandiari "a modern-day gnostic", referring to the themes of spiritual inquiry on Celestial Blues. [3] Kim Kelly of Pitchfork gave the album 7.5/10, praising the band's performance and comparing Celestial Blues favorably to Created in the Image of Suffering : "King Woman's ability to outdo themselves continues apace, and the bar continues to rise each time Esfandiari sheds her skin anew". [2] Max Heilman of Metal Injection gave Celestial Blues 8/10, noting that "What truly makes it stand out becomes how it embodies the 'Blues' as well as the 'Celestial'." [11] Dewinged of Sputnikmusic gave the album 4.5/5, calling Celestial Blues "Kris' most honest and enrapturing work of her prolific career". [6]

Live performances

King Woman played two shows on consecutive nights, July 30 and 31, 2021, at Lodge Room in Highland Park, California, to celebrate the release of Celestial Blues. [12]

Track listing

No.TitleLength
1."Celestial Blues"4:36
2."Morning Star"3:53
3."Boghz"5:23
4."Golgotha"6:04
5."Coil"3:01
6."Entwined"6:04
7."Psychic Wound"3:20
8."Ruse"4:18
9."Paradise Lost"4:10
Total length:40:52

Personnel

Musicians

Production

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">House of Pain</span> American hip hop group

House of Pain was an American hip hop trio that released three albums in the 1990s. The group consisted of DJ Lethal, Danny Boy, and Everlast. They are best known for their 1992 hit single "Jump Around", which reached number 3 in their native United States of America, number 6 in Ireland and number 8 in the United Kingdom. The group broke up in 1996.

<i>Black Sabbath</i> (album) 1970 studio album by Black Sabbath

Black Sabbath is the debut studio album by English rock band Black Sabbath, released on 13 February 1970 by Vertigo Records in the United Kingdom and on 1 June 1970 by Warner Bros. Records in the United States. The album is widely regarded as the first true heavy metal album, and the opening track, "Black Sabbath", has been referred to as the first doom metal song.

Zeke is an American hardcore punk band from Seattle, Washington, formed in 1992. They are known for their extremely fast, energetic guitar sound. Zeke mixes this with strong influences from hard rock, and occasionally blues rock, and are often compared to Motörhead.

<i>Mr. Wonderful</i> (Fleetwood Mac album) 1968 studio album by Fleetwood Mac

Mr. Wonderful is the second studio album by British blues rock band Fleetwood Mac, released on 23 August 1968. This all-blues album was broadly similar to their debut album, albeit with some changes to personnel and recording method. The album was recorded live in the studio with miked amplifiers and PA system, rather than plugged into the board. A horn section was introduced and Christine Perfect of Chicken Shack was featured on keyboards. The album took a total of four days to record. In the US, the album was not issued under the name Mr. Wonderful, though around half of the tracks appeared on English Rose.

<i>Hall of the Mountain Grill</i> 1974 studio album by Hawkwind

Hall of the Mountain Grill is the fourth studio album by space rock band Hawkwind, released in 1974. It is regarded by many critics as a career highlight.

<i>Retro Active</i> 1993 compilation album by Def Leppard

Retro Active is a compilation album by the English rock band Def Leppard, released in 1993. The album features touched-up versions of B-sides and previously unreleased recordings from the band's recording sessions from 1984 to 1993. The album charted at number 9 on the Billboard 200 and No. 6 on the UK Albums Chart.

Shirley Brown is an American R&B singer, best known for her million-selling single "Woman to Woman", which was nominated for a Grammy Award in 1975.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shannon Larkin</span> American drummer (born 1967)

James Shannon Larkin is an American musician, best known as the drummer of the rock band Godsmack. He replaced the previous drummer Tommy Stewart in June 2002. Prior to Godsmack, he was a member of Amen, Candlebox, Ugly Kid Joe, and Souls at Zero.

<i>Oceanic</i> (Isis album) 2002 studio album by ISIS

Oceanic is the second full-length album by American post-metal band ISIS, released on September 17, 2002, by Ipecac Recordings. On November 4, 2014, a remastered edition was released via Hydrahead/Ipecac Recordings. Since its release, Oceanic has received critical acclaim and has been regarded as a masterpiece.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joe Bonamassa</span> American musician (born 1977)

Joseph Leonard Bonamassa is an American blues rock guitarist, singer and songwriter. He started his career at age twelve, when he opened for B.B. King. Since 2000, Bonamassa has released fifteen solo albums through his independent record label J&R Adventures, of which eleven have reached No. 1 on the Billboard Blues chart.

<i>11:11</i> (Regina Spektor album) 2001 studio album by Regina Spektor

11:11 is the debut album by singer-songwriter Regina Spektor. Initially, it was self-released on CD and sold at Spektor's early shows. Stylistically, the album differs from Spektor's later work as she was heavily influenced by jazz and blues at the time of its recording.

Ringworm is an American metalcore band formed in Cleveland, Ohio in 1989. Their name was derived from a Vincent Price movie. The band has toured extensively in the United States, Australia, New Zealand, and Europe and has released four albums via Victory Records. In 2013, the band announced they had signed with Relapse Records, releasing three further albums with the label before moving to Nuclear Blast in 2023. Vocalist Human Furnace currently plays in the Cleveland metal band Gluttons and solo project Holyghost.

<i>Relapse</i> (Eminem album) 2009 studio album by Eminem

Relapse is the sixth studio album by American rapper Eminem, released on May 19, 2009, by Aftermath Entertainment, Shady Records, and Interscope Records. The album marks Eminem's return after a four-year hiatus due to writer's block and an addiction to prescription sleeping medication. The album features the most production work by Dr. Dre on any given Eminem album, with Dre producing all but one song, which was produced by Eminem. Mark Batson collaborated with Dre on several songs, while Eminem, Dawaun Parker, and Trevor Lawrence Jr. collaborated with Dre on one song each.

<i>Recovery</i> (Eminem album) 2010 studio album by Eminem

Recovery is the seventh studio album by American rapper Eminem, released on June 18, 2010, by Aftermath Entertainment, Shady Records, and Interscope Records. Unlike his previous albums, it features a majority of outside producers, including Alex da Kid, Just Blaze, Boi-1da, Jim Jonsin and Havoc, alongside in-house producers Emile, DJ Khalil, Mr. Porter, and Dr. Dre. The album also marks the first time Eminem collaborated with pop artists such as Pink and Rihanna, as well as rapper Lil Wayne and the rap group Slaughterhouse.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kristina Train</span> American singer-songwriter and musician (born 1982)

Kristina Train is an American singer-songwriter and musician who lives in Nashville, having previously lived in London, United Kingdom. Her music blends influences from country, soul, gospel, blues, folk, and jazz.

<i>Havoc and Bright Lights</i> 2012 studio album by Alanis Morissette

Havoc and Bright Lights is the eighth studio album by Canadian-American singer-songwriter Alanis Morissette, first released in Japan on August 22, 2012. The album is her first release on Collective Sounds, and in the US by RED Distribution and marks her first release away from Maverick Records, her label since 1995. It was produced by Guy Sigsworth and Joe Chiccarelli, the former having produced her previous album, Flavors of Entanglement (2008).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amen (Meek Mill song)</span> 2012 song by Meek Mill featuring Drake

"Amen" is a song by American rapper Meek Mill from his debut studio album, Dreams and Nightmares (2012). Featuring Canadian rapper Drake, the song includes background vocals from Jeremih. It was produced by Key Wane and Jahlil Beats, with the first serving as a songwriter alongside the vocalists. Due to the interpolation of the Doobie Brothers' "Minute by Minute", written by Lester Abrams and Michael McDonald, they also received songwriting credits. The song was thought of by Key Wane in New York's Times Square, after he prayed when experiencing failure. On June 19, 2012, it was released for digital download and streaming as the album's lead single by Maybach Music Group and Warner Bros. Records. At the time of release, Philadelphia reverend Jomo K. Johnson encouraged boycotting the song over alleged usage of the church for sinful activities, leading to the two debating publicly on Hot 107.9. Mill eventually apologized for any offense and Johnson called off the boycott, forgiving him. A hip hop number with pop and R&B elements, the song relies on a gospel beat, with lyrics focused on sexual exploitation and wealth.

<i>Profane Nexus</i> 2017 studio album by Incantation

Profane Nexus is the tenth full-length studio album by the American death metal band Incantation. The album was released on August 11, 2017 through Relapse Records, and is their first release on the label since their 2000 album The Infernal Storm. The album was recorded in the band's own Incantation Studios in Johnstown, PA and was mixed and mastered by Dan Swanö. The album received generally positive reviews from music critics and reached no. 18 on the Billboard Top Heatseekers Chart and no. 32 on the Independent Chart.

Kristina Esfandiari is an American singer-songwriter and producer who writes music and performs under the monikers Dalmatian, Miserable, and NGHTCRWLR, and with the bands King Woman and Sugar High.

<i>Created in the Image of Suffering</i> 2017 King Woman album

Created in the Image of Suffering is the debut studio album by American doom metal band King Woman, released on February 24, 2017, through Relapse Records. The album has strong religious themes, inspired by the band's lead member Kristina Esfandiari's upbringing in a Charismatic Christian church. The album was recorded with producer Jack Shirley at the Atomic Garden in Palo Alto, California. King Woman supported Created in the Image of Suffering with an international tour, including a performance at Roadburn Festival.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Davey, Angela (29 July 2021). "Album review: King Woman – Celestial Blues". Archived from the original on 2021-07-29.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Kelly, Kim (2 August 2021). "King Woman - Celestial Blues". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on 2021-08-02. Retrieved 6 August 2021.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Amen, John (30 July 2021). "Album Review: King Woman – Celestial Blues". Beats Per Minute. Archived from the original on 2021-07-30. Retrieved 6 August 2021.
  4. 1 2 3 "King Woman Bio". Relapse.com. Relapse Records. Archived from the original on 6 August 2021. Retrieved 6 August 2021.
  5. 1 2 3 "Celestial Blues - King Woman". Metacritic. 6 August 2021. Archived from the original on 2021-08-06.
  6. 1 2 3 4 "King Woman - Celestial Blues". Sputnikmusic. 1 August 2021. Retrieved 6 August 2021.
  7. 1 2 "Congratulations to KING WOMAN (@kngwmn) on 'Celestial Blues' first @billboard week!" . Instagram - Relapse Records. 9 August 2021. Archived from the original on 2021-12-26. Retrieved 17 August 2021.
  8. Erickson, Anne (2 June 2021). "King Woman Announce New Album Celestial Blues, Unveil First Single "Morning Star": Stream". Heavy Consequence. Archived from the original on 2021-06-02.
  9. Rettig, James (30 June 2021). "King Woman – "Psychic Wound"". Stereogum. Archived from the original on 2021-06-30.
  10. Beck, Willa (14 July 2021). "Premiere: King Woman - "Boghz"". Office Magazine. Archived from the original on 2021-07-14.
  11. Heilman, Max (2 August 2021). "Album Review: KING WOMAN Celestial Blues". Metal Injection. Archived from the original on 2021-08-02.
  12. "King Woman". Songkick. 6 August 2021. Archived from the original on 2015-01-24.