Hipness credentials were incredibly high: the late Gene Eugene of Adam Again and the Lost Dogs produced the Frontline album Pain (voted in 2010 the number 352nd Christian album of all time) that included background vocals by the Choir's Steve Hindalong and Derri Daugherty. Their song from this album "the Cross Was His Own" was featured on a compilation album entitled Frontline Classics. They appeared with bands like The Choir, The 77's, Undercover, the Violet Burning, Tonio K., Mad at the World, the Altar Boys, Dead Artist Syndrome, Chris Isaak, Social Distortion, the Mighty Lemon Drops, the Psychedelic Furs, the Call, the Ocean Blue, 4 Non Blondes, the Graces (3 members of the Go-Go's), Grapes of Wrath and many others.
Charlotte Caffey (guitarist of the Go-Go's) commented that the lead singer Sean Doty had one of the best voices she had ever heard. Gene Simmons of KISS was quoted as saying, "they would be a great band if they left the 'Jesus stuff' out". The band "LIVE" was heard to say that Veil of Ashes was an early favorite on Christian radio during their high school church years. And Peter Murphy is a facebook fan of the band.
The first album, PAIN, yielded a top ten Christian Rock single "Without Eyes", beating out Petra that month. Pulse magazine named Pain as one of the top ten Christian albums of the year. The band changed it's name to Veil for their second album, Mr. Sunshine on the Eden record label, that yielded a hit single "Queen For A Day". The song was eventually banned by several Christian radio stations because it was a subtle yet distinguishable tribute to Freddie Mercury and the group Queen. The album itself was banned by several Christian bookstores because of the joker face on the cover. Interestingly enough after all that banning, the song, "Stygian Shore" was used in an Easter musical performed in churches throughout the world. Veil of Ashes built a cult following sufficient to justify a compilation album on Michael Knott's Blonde Vinyl label entitled The Young and the Reckless (the Regression of Veil of Ashes) that pulled most of it's material from their independent releases, Prayers for the World and Negro (not a racist term but the word for Black in Spanish).
Musically, according to reviewers, the band had a sound that sometimes recalled the Doors and U2, though critics would also notice touches of more obscure bands like The Cult, the Cure, and Gene Loves Jezebel.
ALSO THE SOON TO BE RELEASED ALBUM . . . "ETERNAL TEENAGE ANGST" in 2012
SUICIDE
Veil of Ashes Lyrics
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de la belleza de la realidad torcida
en mi coraz
ón, no hay escape ni salida
Una vida perdida en sueños de suicidio
This song Suicide by Veil of Ashes is poignant and harrowing, describing the intense struggle of someone who is deeply depressed and contemplating suicide. The opening lines refer to a sacrifice made in the early morning flight, possibly a reference to the act of suicide itself which is often committed in the early hours, lending to the feeling of hopelessness and despair. The second line "de la belleza de la realidad torcida" which translates to "from the beauty of twisted reality" suggests that the person feels that their own perception of the world has become distorted and that they are unable to find beauty or hope in their surroundings. The haunting imagery of the lines conveys a sense of desperation and inner turmoil.
The third and fourth lines of the verse express a feeling of being trapped and hopeless with 'no escape nor exit' from the cycle of depression and pain that engulfs them. The final line "Una vida perdida en sueños de suicidio" translates to "A life lost in dreams of suicide", speaks to the ever-present thought of ending their own life. The lyrics are raw and emotional, offering an insight into the interior struggles of those suffering with suicidal thoughts.
Writer(s): Kim Wilde, Andrew Ian Murray, Steve Jones, Neil Jones
Contributed by Max I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.