In KNIGHTRESS, the violin is no symphonic ornament: it is the lead instrument. With Immolate, Emily Palen’s band proves it once again. Progressive, crushing rhythms, blazing violin solos, clean and extreme vocals: the track embodies the four-piece’s raw energy and the visceral power of a very particular feeling, that of burning your whole life to ashes. It comes with a music video.

Released on 25 September 2026, Immolate is the third single from The Sentient Condition, after Axis and Unbecoming. Recorded at Studio Sainte-Marthe in Paris with producer Francis Caste, the album will be released on 27 November 2026 via La Frappe / Believe. It explores the path from suffering to awakening and liberation, while celebrating consciousness and the sacredness of all sentient life.

The record also marks a new incarnation of the project, formerly known in the United States as KnightressM1. The band is built on three pillars, musical integrity, inventiveness and the drive to push boundaries, with one clear ambition: to put the violin at the heart of metal rather than in a supporting role.

About the band

Based in Paris, KNIGHTRESS is the brainchild of Emily Palen, a violinist, singer, pianist and composer from Michigan. Classically trained from the age of four and a University of Michigan alumna, she left the classical world to explore rock, electronica and improvisation, working with the Foo Fighters, John Paul Jones and Eric McFadden among others. She founded the project in 2012 as KnightressM1, whose debut album Dreams & Devastation was recorded at Dave Grohl’s Studio 606 and released in 2020.

Based in Paris since 2022, Emily Palen reformed the band there with Léo Caviglioli on guitar, Waldo Losada on bass and Prosper Duffours on drums. In 2025, KNIGHTRESS played a 26-date European tour across France, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic, sharing the bill with The Great Old Ones, DVM Spero, Destillat, The Risen Dread and Ciconia. Their motto: “Freedom is our birthright”.

Find them here and there:
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The Immolate music video
Immolate on Spotify