From the first haunting, windswept keystrokes on Veil & Subdue, one thing is clear — it’s going to be a dark ride indeed. On this, Paul Ramey’s new ode-to-night-terrors goth opera, strands of 80s alternative (think Peter Murphy and The Cure) entwine with mythological archetypes and here-and-now sleep disorder chaos to create a compelling and sometimes-disturbing musical journey.

It Might Tonight, near the end of disc one, is a dark, watery grave of a song with a pounding techno heartbeat. The panicky refrain of love’s disillusionment is clearly met here, and the song is a fine counter to earlier, more exotic tones.

Innocence — a Sisters of Mercy-edged snapshot of narcissistic love — takes The Black Sultan’s desire for his earthly love to a violent climax.

As if an afterthought, Ramey throws in a final, acoustic whimsy — the Radiohead-meets-Rufus Wainwright Turn the Page. The one song that doesn’t actually appear in the Veil & Subdue opera, Turn the Page seems to be both the final summation of this tale, as well as the hinting of things still to come.