about
KNIGHTRESS is a band born from the incessant need to create music of our complete liberation from the oppressive and predatory systems which have kept our beautiful planet in a cruel misery. Human beings, when left to our own devices, are interested in creating beauty, love and innovation. We are interested in expansion, and the betterment of the lives of those around us. If one of us suffers, we all suffer.
The system must be called out for what it is, in cold and brutal truth. This music is an expression of life lived on that edge of survival and sovereignty. How much truth can you tell before you become a target? It doesn’t matter anymore. The time for us to return to our true nature is now.
The time is also now for those who befell untold pain and trauma unto others and steal life from the hearts and bodies of the innocent, to pay their equal price. May they learn the weight of the suffering they cause.
Evolution is upon us. It is each of our birthrights to know ourselves, in our truth and beauty of origin. It is also our birthright to be free. KNIGHTRESS is one more voice in a cacophony of voices, pushing us over the edge of our current reality, into one of truth, freedom, and sovereignty.
Origin story
KNIGHTRESS, the brainchild of violinist, vocalist and composer Emily Palen is a violin-led metal band based in Paris, France. The group redefines the use of violin within the metal genre, placing its uniquely heavy tone in the center of its compositions. Fusing her lead violin tone with her clean and distorted vocals, Emily sets herself apart as a lead in the genre. The synergy of the group as a whole is infectious as each member brings a powerhouse presence to their instrument and to the stage. Far from the symphonic scene their quest for heavy sounds is matched by the energy of their stage performances.
KNIGHTRESS is completed by French musicians Leo Caviglioli (guitar), Waldo Losada (bass), and Prosper Duffours (drums), bringing depth, sophistication, and an irreplaceable force to the band’s performance. Their full-length album The Sentient Condition, recorded with renowned French metal producer Francis Caste at Studio Sainte-Marthe, will be released in 2026, with a succession of 4 music videos, continuing the mythology of KnightressM1 from its previous incarnation.
The music is born from an unrelenting need to express the vast spectrum of human experience, bearing poetic witness to the cruelty of life while calling us toward virtue. Sonically, the band lays down undeniably solid foundations, from which their passion for musical innovation propels their sound to the very edge of possibility.
Music plays a crucial role at a time when humanity stands between ultimate destruction and radical evolution. KNIGHTRESS strives to be a voice for the oppressed, either by country or lover.
emily palen
Emily Palen is a professional violinist, vocalist, pianist and composer and founder of Paris based metal band KNIGHTRESS. Born in Midland Michigan to cellist Lois Palen and poet John Palen, she is known for her uniquely heavy violin sound, unapologetic vocals and commanding stage presence.
Immersed in classical music from childhood, Emily developed a fierce devotion to the violin and a refusal to accept its traditional role as a decorative accessory. Driven to pull the violin from the periphery of metal into the center as a formidable lead instrument, she formed her own band out of a near life or death need for emotional honesty, survival and authenticity. This path felt less like a choice and more like an assignment from the aethers.
She began piano and violin at age four, studying first with her mother, then with Michael Avsharian, a pupil of Ivan Galamian. After entering the University of Michigan School of Music to study with Professor Paul Kantor, she ultimately left the classical world behind, relocating to California to explore rock, electronica and improvisation, a journey that led her to metal.
Her career includes collaborations with Foo Fighters, John Paul Jones and Eric McFadden. She has released two solo violin improvisation albums Glass and Creation and serves as vocalist and lyricist for doom projects The Othered and Ammonoid.
Emily founded KNIGHTRESS in 2012. Their debut album Dreams and Devastation, recorded at Dave Grohl’s Studio 606 with engineer John Lousteau, was released in 2020. She is also releasing electronic album under KnightressM1. Her LP A Thousand Suns mixed at Studio 606 is set for Summer 2026.
leo caviglioli
Léo Caviglioli is a professional guitar player based in Paris, France. He learned guitar by himself in his room and then decided to seriously study music in the Campus of Music in Valenciennes, France for one year and then 3 years at the American School of Modern Music in Paris. He plays in two metal bands, loves to play in jams and has several gigs in many different genres.
Léo is also a music producer and has recorded, mixed and mastered a lot of artists for their album/EP.
waldo losada
Waldo Losada is a professional bass player based in Paris, France. After spending several years playing in the Metal scene with bands like Gargantua, (Modern Metal), Atavisma (Doom Death) & Acedia Mundi (Dissonant Black Metal) and touring in France, Spain, England & Switzerland, he decided to study at the American School of Modern Music. Waldo graduated in 2022. Since then he's been working with a variety of artists and recording jazz, folk and pop records. He is also a music teacher, a session musician and the founder of the band Etxegiña.
prosper duffours
Prosper, originally from the Drôme region, began playing drums at the age of ten and has since evolved within the world of extreme metal.
After two years at the M.A.I in Nancy, his discovery of jazz led him to the American School of Modern Music in Paris, the city where he would settle.
His playing draws equally from the power and technicality of metal and the finesse of modern jazz. Currently the drummer in numerous bands across a wide range of styles, he is also developing his personal composition project titled Prosper 286.
