Dee Snider's Van Helsing's Curse

Is anyone familiar with this project? I saw the cd in the used bin the other day and I considered picking it up for Halloween, but decided against it. Is it like Dee's version of Trans-Siberian Orchestra but for Halloween?

Anyone familiar with this?

The samples on the website are pretty weird.

http://www.vanhelsingscurse.com/CMS/component/option,com_wrapper/Itemid,96/

I would have snagged it if I saw it in the used bins. Shoot, go back and pick it up and I'll make you a trade for it.

ult

ultmetal wrote:

I would have snagged it if I saw it in the used bins. Shoot, go back and pick it up and I'll make you a trade for it.

ult

If I can, I might try to stop by on Saturday and get it. From what I viewed on the website, it looks very similair to a Halloween-version of TSO.

MetalGuy71 wrote:

ultmetal wrote:

I would have snagged it if I saw it in the used bins. Shoot, go back and pick it up and I'll make you a trade for it.

ult

If I can, I might try to stop by on Saturday and get it. From what I viewed on the website, it looks very similair to a Halloween-version of TSO.

A "Halloween version of TSO" pretty much hits it right on the head. It's a pretty blatant steal off of TSO if you ask me. The only major difference is that the majority of the Van Helsing's Curse album is instrumentals, whereas TSO use vocalists. Dee comes in at the beginning and end of most tracks as a "narrator" but other than that they're almost all instrumental.
Cool stuff, but it wasn't really a keeper so I traded my copy a while ago

My favorite Dee project is Widowmaker.

That was some good stuff.

Sounds like something I would like. I must look into that!

Definitely a good used bin buy. I got my copy for $2, but I think $5 or $6 would be worth it. It's a cool little disc. Can't say I think it's a TSO rip-off, though. It's just an orchestral sort of album. Similar, but not really.

Anyway, heard Dee's two tracks from the Strangeland soundtrack before? I can't remember the song, but one of them reminded me of Solitude Aeturnus, and it made me think of how much of a killer voice he has. I wish he'd do something better with it. Dee Snider singing epic doom metal? Hell yeah!

I picked this up over the weekend. I'm digging it. It's definately a seasonal listening kind of thing, like TSO, although it's could get more spins when I'm feeling in the mood for some dark, creepy, mostly-instrumental type music.

As for the music, it sounds as if they've taken classic metal riffs and other horror movie music then expaned them into orchestral pieces. For example, the song Black Sabbath. They took the upbeat portion of that song, then added their own twist to it. Same with the Halloween Michael Myers's theme.

Dee is only in it as the narrator. He does intros and spoken word pieces to the songs, like Vincent Price in Thriller. He doesn't sing on it.

Judging from the website, this is probably cooler to see in person than to listen to it at home, but it's kinda neat nonetheless. A good find in the used bins.

Pulled this one out today...weird, Halloweeny stuff...I like it...

I have this. Must not have impressed me because I can't remember a thing about it.

I'll have to dig this one out for Halloween. I forgot I had it.

I want it!!!! Could never find a place to order it a couple of years ago, when I first learend about its existence.

got the live in philly 05 dvd & the cd..forget to watch/listen to them though. now would be a perfect (oct) time.
i believe i got both off the VHC website, to the person above who said they couldn't find out where to order it.
http://www.vanhelsingscurse.com/CMS/

Ah, this is really cool sounding. I had heard of 'em, but I just figured it was one of Dee's 90s projects, so I never bothered listening o them. I didn't know it was like this! Definitely ordering this one before the month is up.

So are they still active every October? Seems like a really awesome show.

Never heard this, but I enjoyed Widowmaker alot.

I'd like to see the DVD, but it isn't sold on their site anymore and EBay resellers are charging 20 bucks. Umm, no thanks.

spectrefate wrote:

I'd like to see the DVD, but it isn't sold on their site anymore and EBay resellers are charging 20 bucks. Umm, no thanks.

the 'midnight syndicate' folks sold me mine--i still had their email on my computer i noticed--i'll ask them if they still do sell it, & what a good link for the DVD order is.

I'll have to dig this out and add it to my instrumental writing soundtrack.

they emailed me back--here's the link to buy:

http://www.midnightsyndicate.com/vhc.htm

vanillaviking wrote:

they emailed me back--here's the link to buy:

http://www.midnightsyndicate.com/vhc.htm

Thanks, VK.