Dark, brooding and carefully crafted... - Folio Weekly

Deep in the shadows of haunted night, Morpheus the Dream King has finally found the long-hoped for object of his affections, a potential queen to help him rule his land of dreams. Alas, she is but of mortal blood, a young woman susceptible to romantic visions and troubled dreams.

Thus begins the epic tale of love and tragedy that is Paul Ramey and Anna K. Meade's new goth/rock opera, Veil & Subdue. With influences such as Neil Gaiman's Sandman series, Greek mythology, and night terrors, and with dramatic musical stylings reminiscent of Peter Murphy, The Cure, Sarah Brightman and more, Veil & Subdue paints a story of doomed love between a mortal and a god in vivid, phantasmagoric splashes as well as subtle, erotic flourishes.

A beautiful, enfolding, morphing, sensitive gothic rock opera that bathes us in mythic kaleidoscope of shadows and light, innocence and fear... - Frances Figart

Hauntingly beautiful and ethereal, Veil & Subdue explores a disturbing portion of the dreamworld from an ancient perspective... - Susan Gegner

Somnambulistic…you’ve got the dreamer’s disease!

The stunning Veil & Subdue goth opera – just released on the Masque music label – is the brainchild of Jacksonville, Florida-based musician Paul Ramey, along with vocalist and playwright Anna K. Meade.

Weaving together threads of mortal and immortal passions, dreams and nightmares, as well as the physical phenomenon of night terrors, Veil & Subdue is a sweeping, two-hour tour de force. A swirling tapestry of alternative, dark tones, Veil & Subdue is a succulent, dark journey that will quickly lure you in.

Drawing from influences as vast as Neil Gaiman’s now-legendary Sandman comic book series, opera-diva Sarah Brightman’s lush and haunting live stage spectacles, and many other music artists (Peter Murphy, The Cure, Radiohead, Marc Almond, Dredg, HIM, and Queen, to name just a few), Veil & Subdue is the tale of The Black Sultan (Morpheus, the King of Dreams) and his love of a mere mortal woman.

“It’s like almost any love story,” said Ramey. “It’s the innocence of love at first sight, as well as the almost inevitable disillusionment and rejection. Except that in this case it’s on an epic scale. What if a god fell in love with a mortal? A part of the charm of polytheistic religions, such as the Greek gods, was that each of the gods captured faulty human emotions. They weren’t perfect. They were almost amplified versions of us at our worst! Veil & Subdue is one of these stories – a guy who thinks he’s the shit, who sees a girl, wants a girl, and won’t take no for an answer. Who hasn’t dated someone like this?”

The twist on Veil & Subdue is that it is also very much an interpretation of the night terror phenomenon.

“This story is speculative,” said Ramey. “Night terrors are very mysterious, and very dark. The physiology of it is poorly understood. So, we thought, what if it wasn’t a physical trigger at all that caused people to wake up screaming in the middle of the night? What if it was a god, visiting a mortal woman in her dreams, trying to make her love him? In most myths, to look upon the face of a god is madness, or death. Hence, Zues visiting young women in the guise of an eagle, or a bull. what if the sufferer of night terrors was being, basically, harassed by a god? So Veil & Subdue is the complete story – the love, the disappointment, the stalking…everything! And, of course, a dark ending. Just like life, nobody ends up getting exactly what they want.”

Veil & Subdue includes two compact discs, a 20-page complete libretto, and stylish outer packaging.

The Veil & Subdue project looks forward to the possibility of a future live stage experience. Stay tuned…!

Listen to samples of all the songs in the opera:

Disc One - Veil

• Veil & Subdue
• More
• Iris Green/I'd Know Him So Well
• Arrival
• Heart in Velvet
• Just Like Freedom
• One Green Rose
• Here In His Arms
• My Piano
• I Will

Disc Two - Subdue

• Veils
• Don't You See It?
• Not
• Bed of Ashes
• I'll Never Sleep Again
• Waiting
• Pieces on Me
• Innocence
• The End of Dreams
• Burning Embers
• Turn the Page

The Music

Your journey into the realm of the Black Sultan begins and ends with the beautiful phantasmagoric Veil & Subdue two-cd musical package.

Weaving together a rich, intricate tapestry of goth, rock, techno and more, Veil & Subdue - The Courtship of the Black Sultan is a stunning two-hour musical landscape inspired by night terrors, mythology and you.

Veil & Subdue - 22 songs weaving the tale. The complete libretto booklet for you to follow. Deluxe packaging to transport you. It is a musical journey into darkness and light that you will never forget...

Or...Order the CD from CD Baby, download the mp3's from Amazon.com, iTunes, or DigStation.

Merchandise

Purchase Veil & Subdue T-shirts and more through Zazzle.com.

Freebies

Veil & Subdue Complete Libretto - FREE download! The complete Veil & Subdue script written by Paul Ramey and Anna K. Meade. This PDF file offers the entire script - including lyrics to all the Veil & Subdue songs - in 12pt.-size type for easy reading.

The St. Augustine Record: On October 4, 2009, Veil & Subdue was featured in St. Augustine's newspaper. Read the full article.

Folio Weekly: In August 2009, Veil & Subdue received a glowing review from Jacksonville's premiere arts and entertainment publication Folio Weekly. Check out the full article!

Contact Paul Ramey at paul@veilandsubdue.com.