Knightress M1 is the Trio Emily Palen formed with Uriah Duffy (Whitesnake) and Rob Ahlers (50FootWave) and Dreams And Devastation is the bands debut album produced by John 'Lou' Lousteau.
The album opens with a scratchy guitar solo that leads us into Butterfly as this song of mining the depths unfolds over the rumbling bass and drums and then almost background guitar solo's and figures that sound like amplified classical music figures and that feeling is added to when the violin comes in making this a most beguiling opening song.
Polarity Integrate seems to be trying to integrate polish folk songs into a woebegone ballad with elements of almost ELO style violin and somehow it all works together as it sounds totally original.
The first single Lock & Key is next, this has managed to stick in my head quite well in a year where I've now topped 200 album reviews, the violin solo gets me every time and it certainly sounds like a good thing that she might want to keep you at home safe under Lock & Key to keep you from your urges and desires.
Supernova is a slowly swirling song of lust and desire with the violin practically orgasming just before things get calm and the bass and drums seem to be getting more and more restrained ready for a good explosion of love and desire.
Force Of Nature has all sorts of stuff going on at the low end and almost buried into the mix as Emily explains just what kind of Force Of Nature she's singing about.
Raising Light is almost raga rock with some quite heavy proggy edges as this tale of love and lust wraps itself around your ears as if it wants to be intertwined with you.
Minutes has a beguiling violin and a tune that although not at all similar musically reminds me of Seven Minutes To Midnight by Wah! This is a song that will take a few listens to really let it seep into your mind properly.
Fire is urgent musically and reminds me of Grace Solero as this has more of a metal edge to it as the whirlwind of drums bass and guitar never gets to engulf the vocals.
Desolation Heartbreak does what it says in the title so to speak over distorting guitars and violin over a bedrock of restrained drums and bass that feel well kind of desolate.
Gates of Dawn is sort of a dubby organ led tune that shouldn't work but kinda does mainly by how the violin seems to tie it all together.
Stars From My Sky feels very filmic like it should be on the soundtrack to a sci-fi space epic and we are travelling to some far away galaxy where things would be better it also sounds a bit like the soundtrack to Dune in places.
The album closes with the sad and doleful Zero Point that might feel like you've reached the point in your relationship where there is Zero Point in carrying on but at least you have a violin to sooth away your sorrows with.
Find out more at https://knightressm1.bandcamp.com/album/dreams-and-devastation https://www.knightressm1.com/ https://www.facebook.com/KnightressM1/
