Nemesea is a female fronted rock band founded by ex-vocalist Manda Ophuis a… Read Full Bio ↴Nemesea is a female fronted rock band founded by ex-vocalist Manda Ophuis and guitarist HJ in September 2002 in Groningen, The Netherlands. The band currently consists of Sanne Mieloo (vocals), HJ (guitars), Sonny Onderwater (bass), Lasse Delbrugge (keyboards) and Frank van der Star (drums).

In April 2003 the band had their first performance as support act for After Forever, and remained that band's support for a year. They attracted record company interest and signed for small Dutch label Ebony Tears in November 2003. In November 2004 Nemesea released their debut album "Mana" (meaning 'the magical power of things, given by the gods'), and they later toured the Netherlands and Belgium until December 2005. By this time they were well established in the Nordic European symphonic metal scene. For their second album, Nemesea had talks with some major record labels, but they later decided to sign up to the Dutch crowdsourcing website SellaBand. They were the first band to raise more than $50,000 from the fans, and the album, called "In Control", was released on June 21, 2007. A distribution deal was made with Rough Trade Records to bring the new album to music stores in Benelux on October 26, 2007.

Nemesea released their 3rd studio album through Napalm records called The Quiet Resistance on 18-11-2011
Nemesea also released a remixed and remastered version of their live album Pure live@P3.

Nemesea added Lasse Delbrugge (ex-Orphanage) to their lineup as keyboard player in 2009.

It was announced that Manda Ophuis on August 1,2016 that she will quit being the singer instead to focus on her education job with highly gifted children. On May 19th 2017, it was announced that Sanne Mieloo was the band's new vocalist. Along with this announcement came the single "Dance in the Fire".

Former members:
• Steven Bouma (drums) (2005-2011)
• Chris Postma (drums) (2002-2005)
• Sander Zoer (drums) (2005-2006)
• Martijn Pronk (guitars) (2002-2007)
• Berto Booijink (keyboards) (2002-2007)
• Manda Ophuis (vocals) (2002-2016)

Official site: www.nemesea.com
Facebook page: www.facebook.com/nemeseaofficial

Empress
Nemesea Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

'Haec damnata imperatrix
Expectat te moriri quandocumque brevi'

Open your eyes and see
she's only a chimera to thee
The celestial thought is only in your mind
this feminine person is an atrocious kind

This doomed empress is waiting for you
to perish anytime soon
Don't look in her enchanting eyes
for thou will swoon

The truth is not elusive
so open your eyes and see
Indulge in earthly thoughts
and life will come to thee

Expose this gruesome lady
Let her be reprimanded by her former Gods!

You're blinded by her diversion
Even though you're a righteous man

Waiting for the enthronement
but that is not her plan

Overall Meaning

Nemesea's song "Empress" is a warning to those who blindly follow someone they believe will lead them to greatness, without stopping to consider their true nature. The opening lines, "Haec damnata imperatrix, Expectat te moriri quandocumque brevi," which translates to "This doomed empress is waiting for you to perish anytime soon," set the ominous tone for the rest of the song. The singer urges the listener to open their eyes and see that the empress they are following is not what she seems - a chimera, a fantastical creature that exists only in their mind.

The lyrics evoke a sense of danger and betrayal, warning the listener not to be drawn in by the empress's enchanting eyes or the allure of her celestial aura. In reality, she is a gruesome lady who will ultimately lead them to their downfall. The singer implores the listener to "expose this gruesome lady" and hold her accountable for her actions.

Ultimately, the song is a cautionary tale about blindly following those who claim to have all the answers. It encourages listeners to question authority and think for themselves, rather than being swayed by the promises of charismatic leaders.

Line by Line Meaning

Haec damnata imperatrix
This doomed empress

Expectat te moriri quandocumque brevi
is waiting for you to perish anytime soon

Open your eyes and see
Don't be deceived, pay attention to what's really happening

she's only a chimera to thee
this feminine person is an illusion for you

The celestial thought is only in your mind
Sober up, the idea of her as an angel is just your imagination

this feminine person is an atrocious kind
This female is wicked

Don't look in her enchanting eyes
Don't be bewitched by her looks

for thou will swoon
or you will faint

The truth is not elusive
The truth is to be found, it's not impossible to discover it

Indulge in earthly thoughts
Just focus on real, everyday things and forget about fantasies

and life will come to thee
You will find peace and happiness in life