cover art by Nadae
Metalcore Musician/Magician/Film Director
NADAE
Premieres Metal Love Letter
“The Lover” at Knotfest
Second Single from the Upcoming Album The Septhed: Gods of Kenilworth
Order here: The Lover (ffm.to)
love-letter to his wife, Cynthia Sipes . This single is the second from the upcoming album The Septhed: Gods of Kenilworth. Nadae tells us, “always have the courage to tell those close to you, I love you.”
Pulling inspiration from the likes of Within Temptation, “The Lover” is a heartrending yet aggressive track. Both he and his wife, Cynthia Sipes, duet on the song. The song begins with an angelic female voice and choir. Both swell until dark guitars punch into the scene; beauty and beast have begun their dance. The guitar, drums, and male vocals of the verse beat to the rhythm of a dark, aggressive pursuit: the beast hunts beauty. The chorus breaks open like the dawn. The female vocal soars as beauty surrenders to her pursuer; both lovers swear their love in a novel duet rarely heard in metal music. This back-and-forth, the chase and surrender typical to loving relationships, culminates into the heartbreaking bridge where beauty and beast have broken apart. Relief comes with the final chorus; the song comes to a roaring close as the lovers reunite, choosing to be together once and for all… ’til death do us part.’
“Combining choral vocals, dynamic percussion and weighty guitars, the track offers a sense of elegance that is rarely associated with driving metalcore. Combined with the grace of the visual from the musician who doubles as a filmmaker, ‘The Lover’ showcases a fresh take the genre.” – Ramon Gonzales, Knotfest
Watch “The Lover” (directed by Nadae) at Knotfest!
Nadae explains, ” After my first film won critical acclaim, such as finalist for ‘”Best Film” at Amarcord, I consolidated my filmmaking approach. I now begin every project by asking, ‘what is the unique personality of the story? What does it want to say and to whom?’ My direction flows from these questions. For example, directing The Fighter music video was a lesson in how to shout the defiant, combative statement ‘I will rise and conqueror’ with every silent punch. In contrast, The Lover required a very delicate balance between aggression and softness, both of which needed to scream ‘I love you.’ For each video an entirely different directorial hand was required. In sum, I love the nuanced, creative challenges each individual video offers; I am already planning the next song and music video called The Healer! Thank you for watching The Fighter and The Lover. Stay tuned!”
Watch “The Fighter” here:
Nadae released his monumental first single “The Fighter” which premiered on Heavy Magazine in 2022. This release garnered great critical acclaim. Critics described “The Fighter” as…
“Very, very well crafted…a huge YES!” – Blade Winchester
“Lyrically, sonically…it’s dope as FUCK!” – Brewtal Podcast
“Really fantastic…” – Critical Reactions
photo credit: Cynthia Sipes
About NADAE:
Nadae, the musical persona of singer-songwriter, film director and magician Jacob Sipes, blends music experimentation with modern metal conventions. Founded September 2020, Nadae continues to demonstrate a stubborn commitment to telling the best musical story possible, blending hard genres with eclectic musicality. His goal is simple: personal transcendence through powerful music.
Nadae shares, ” I’m in the UK completing my PhD in Philosophy at Warwick University. My thesis is centered around the neuroscience of moral judgments. “
While in the UK, Nadae studied under Peter Carrol, founder of Chaos Magick. Nadae says, “I completed my magic apprenticeship with Carrol, the first and only student to complete this rigorous program, and am now a working magician researching my own grimoire. This grimoire is centered around the mechanics of spirit summoning and how to be more effective at this very delicate and dangerous art. My world travels for research materials have taken me to very old Southeast Asian markets, ancient East Asian ritual sites, rural European libraries, and will be taking me into various Mediterranean cities (Egypt, Italy, and Istanbul respectively) very soon.”
Nadae is currently working on his second apprenticeship, learning from Craig Dickson, founder of Ikigai Hoshin Jutsu. He says, “Regarding my martial arts journey, Ikigai is my third system studied.” Nadae shares, ” I am currently halfway to first Dan (blackbelt rank 1), though my supplemental studies in tradition swordsmanship have added a little load to the overall training schedule.”
How is all of this relevant to the music? Nadae explains, “The upcoming album The Septhed: Gods of Kenilworth and the singles released from it such as ‘The Fighter’ and ‘The Lover’, are a part of a much larger magical work intended to help people transcend their normal mindsets, break through boundaries, and live whole lives. The sword fighting, on the other hand, is strictly for my own benefit.”
NADAE online:
Nadae (@nadae_band) • Instagram photos and videos
Buy link: https://nadae.ffm.to/thelover