At this time, Jake was playing with a death-metal band called "Vapid" who had an incredibly talented drummer called Gustav. Since Jake and Freddy already knew him, and also knew that he would do a great job behind the drums, Gustav was asked to be the drummer of the band. Even though it wasn´t really his bag, he accepted since he thought it would be a fun thing to do.Another guitarist was also necessary so another friend called Erik,(also a member of "Vapid" ) was asked to be a part of the band. He also accepted.The guys were also searching for a bassist but they couldn´t find any so the only solution was for Freddy to take the bass as well. He had never played this instrument before, only the guitar, but after a few rehersals, this turned out quite well anyway.
From the beginning, the idea was for Nostradameus to play just for fun, and was only going to participate in two rock-competitions in their home town. But in one of theese competitions, there was a man in the jury called Magnus Lundbäck, who immediately fell in love with the music of Nostradameus. He also was the chief of a label called Gain productions, and when the gig was over, he asked the very surprised guys if they had a demo. Since they didn't, he offered them to use his studio to record one, and after a few weeks of songwriting and other preparations ( Nostradameus only had one original song at this time ), they entered the studio on the 5-6 of December -98. The result was a real killer and the guys were really satisfied with it so on the 7th, the demo was sent away, but only to five labels, all german. The answer came two weeks later, from AFM-records who offered a contract at once and after some discussion, Nostradameus decided to sign with the label and did so in April -99.
During the spring and summer -99, the band was busy with writing and preparing new songs for the forthcoming album and in November -99, Nostradameus entered the studio again to record what was going to be the "Words of Nostradameus" album. The result of this recording turned out to be so good that the label decided to use the Finnvox studio in Helsinki to do the final mix of the album. This was, once again, a dream coming true to the band and even though they had to wait for about five months for a time in Finnvox ( it´s very hard to get a time with Mikko Karmila in this studio ) they decided that it was absolutely worth it. And it really was! The final product became so much better than the guys ever would have dreamed of.
Unfortunately, at this point of time, another problem had come up. Both Gustav and Erik had deciced to leave the band. They felt that it took too much time. Well, there was not so much to say about it. After all the band was just supposed to be "a fun thing" from the beginning and was now on its way to become something much bigger than that. So, without any hard feelings, Freddy and Jake started to search for some new members during the summer 2000. The first one they got in contact with was Michael Åberg. A very talented guitarist who played together with Magnus Rosén (Hammerfall) and Michael von Knorring (ex. Yngwie Malmsteen) in a cover band called M.M.M. Freddy just happened to be to be at the pub where they were playing one night and asked Michael if he´d like to try as the guitarist of Nostradameus once they had a new drummer. He said yes an the guys decided to stay in touch. Shortly after, Jake saw a note on the wall in a musicstore in Gothenburg about a hardrock/metal drummer who was looking for a band. So he wrote down the number and later on that evening, after having shared a couple of beers with Freddy, they decided to call this guy, Jesse. He seemed very enthusiastic and a few weeks later, the four guys started to reherse on the material. It turned out quite OK and since they both fitted so good as persons in the band, Jake and Freddy decided to take them in as permanent members in the autumn 2000. At this point of time it was decided that they had to get a bassist in the band also. It was no problem for Freddy to do both the bass and the vocals in the studio but it never was such a good idea when playing live shows. Jesse then came with the idea to contact an old friend of his, Thomas, who had a lot of experience from other bands where he´d played the bass. So they tried him and after the first gig with the new line-up, on November 15, Thomas was also a permanent member of the band.
In January -01 the band, now consisting of 5 members, started to concentrate on some new material for an upcoming second release. All the materiel was already written since Freddy and Jake have had plenty of time during the spring and summer -00 while the band didn´t have any more members. So the recording of the second cd, "The prophet of evil"-album was sceduled already for May the same year. So in the beginning of that month, the guys once again entered "Gain production"´s studio.Once the recording was done, it was again time to visit Mr. Karmila in "Finnvox" and as usual, he did a great job so the "Prophet..."-album was released in August -01. Less than a year after the debut.The new album received quite good reviews, eventhough they were not excellent...
But despite this fact, the guys finally got the opportunity to hit the roads for the first time for a major european tour as an opener for their labelmates Edguy. The only problem was that Jesse at this point of time, due to personal reasons, decided to leave the band. So a new drummer once again had to be recruited. Thomas came up with an idea of a friend of his that might be worth testing. This guy was Esko Salow and he, already from the start, made a tremendously stong impression on the rest of the band, so after the gig in Wacken, he was also a permanent member of the band. The tour lasted from the 2nd of November to the 8th of December and was a huge succes for all the parties involved. The ticketsales and the reactions of the audience was way much better than anyone dared to hope for before it started.
Since things, to this point, had gone quite fast (2 albums released in just 12 months) the guys felt a bit worried when the tour started since they almost didn´t have any new ideas for the future. But propably because of the very inspiring atmosphere, with the reactions of the fans during the gigs, the creativity was on top when they returned back home so in less than 2 months, enough material for a 3rd album was written. So in February -02, the guys once again hit the rehearsing room to prepare and arrange the new material.
The recording of what was going to be "The third prophecy"-album started in the summertime -02. This time, the guys decided to use a different studio than on the previous albums. First of all to get some new impressions, but also since the new materiel was a bit different, quite much more raw and heavy, than the previous ones. The recording was made in the KEG-house studio, situated on one of the islands outside Gothenburg, almost "at home" for Freddy and Jake. It was done in a very harmonic atmosphere and most of the time was used finding the right feeling in the recordings, something the guys didn´t put that much attention to on the previous albums when the main goal was to make tecnically perfect performances on each instrument. The result, however, was something quite extraordinary.
In September, the album was mixed, not in Finnvox this time, but in Studio Fredman in Gothenburg by Fredrik Nordström. The main reason was to acheive a little bit "rawer" sound, more a la "Heavy-metal" compared to the ordinary "perfect, but a bit soft"-sound that´s quite common in the Power-metal scene today. Of course, Fredrik sure didn´t disappoint anyone.
Since Nostradameus had some really nice experiences from the european tour with Edguy, the longing for another tour to promote the new album now grew stronger every day, and in the late autumn -02 the guys finally got the confirmation for another journey across Europe. This time together with HammerFall and their labelmates Masterplan...
H.M.S. Ulysses
Nostradameus Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's time for clear ship again
The heart beat's pounding
Pumped with adrenaline
The crew's so tired and fed up
They want to go back home
Inhuman conditions
They can't put up for long
Goddamn war
That's simply what they're employed for
H.m.s. Ulysses, queen of the sea
Has begun her last journey
H.m.s. Ulysses, lucky ship
Fight, survive, win the war for peace
Sent as a guardian
To watch the whole convoy
But will just be bait
To catch the enemy
Admiral tirpitz
Is a dreaded foe
Hiding deep in a bay
On Norway's western shore
Goddamn war
That's simply what they're employed for
H.m.s. Ulysses, queen of the sea
Has begun her last journey
H.m.s. Ulysses, lucky ship
Fight, survive, win the war for peace
Goddamn war
That's simply what they're employed for
H.m.s. Ulysses, queen of the sea
Has begun her last journey
H.m.s. Ulysses, lucky ship
Fight, survive, win the war for peace
The lyrics of Nostradameus's H.M.S. Ulysses describe the sense of duty and sacrifice that sailors experience during wartime. The siren in the beginning represents the call to action, and the urgency of preparedness that comes with it. The crew is exhausted, desperate to return home, but they know they cannot leave their post. They are in it for the long haul, and their heartbeats are pumped with adrenaline, indicative of the stress and anxiety that comes with their responsibilities.
The HMS Ulysses is a British naval vessel sent as a guardian to watch over a convoy. But there's more to it than meets the eye--the ship is also bait, meant to lure the enemy Tirpitz out of hiding. The Tirpitz was a feared German battleship hiding in a Norwegian bay, and defeating it would have been a significant win for the Allies. The crew of the HMS Ulysses knows that their mission is perilous, and there is a high chance they may not make it back home. However, they still persevere, fighting for peace and the greater good.
Overall, the song depicts the realities of war and the sacrifices that those on the front lines must make. It portrays the sense of responsibility and duty that sailors feel towards their country, and the bravery they demonstrate in the face of danger.
Line by Line Meaning
The siren is whining
The ship's alarm is sounding, signaling that they need to prepare for battle.
It's time for clear ship again
They need to get the ship ready for battle, just like they've done many times before.
The heart beat's pounding
The sailors' hearts are racing with anticipation and fear of what's to come.
Pumped with adrenaline
Their bodies are producing adrenaline in response to the stress and danger they are facing.
The crew's so tired and fed up
The sailors are exhausted and tired of the seemingly endless war.
They want to go back home
The sailors long to return to their families and the safety of their homes.
Inhuman conditions
The conditions they are living and working in are harsh and difficult to endure.
They can't put up for long
It's becoming increasingly difficult for the sailors to continue enduring the stress and danger of war.
Goddamn war
The war is causing suffering and pain for those who are forced to fight it.
That's simply what they're employed for
The sailors are expected to fight and serve their country as part of their job.
H.m.s. Ulysses, queen of the sea
The Ulysses is a mighty ship, known for its strength and power on the ocean.
Has begun her last journey
This will be the ship's final journey, and it's likely that not all of the crew will survive.
H.m.s. Ulysses, lucky ship
The Ulysses has earned a reputation as a lucky ship, but that luck may not carry them through this battle.
Fight, survive, win the war for peace
The sailors must fight to survive and help their country win the war, in the hopes of bringing about a lasting peace.
Sent as a guardian
The Ulysses has been tasked with guarding a convoy of ships.
To watch the whole convoy
Their mission is to keep a close eye on the convoy, and protect them from enemy attacks.
But will just be bait
The Ulysses' mission is dangerous, and it's likely that they will be targeted by enemy ships as bait to lure out the convoy.
To catch the enemy
The Ulysses will also be hunting for enemy ships, in an attempt to stop them from attacking the convoy.
Admiral tirpitz
Admiral Tirpitz is a powerful and feared enemy commander.
Is a dreaded foe
The sailors know that Admiral Tirpitz is a formidable adversary, and they fear what he might do to them.
Hiding deep in a bay
Admiral Tirpitz has hidden his ships deep within a bay, where they are difficult to attack.
On Norway's western shore
Admiral Tirpitz has taken refuge on the western coast of Norway.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: JAKE FREDEN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind