VAN HELSINGS CURSE IS HERE
Just to kick off, this soundtrack is in no way related to the upcoming Hugh Jackman flick of the same name.
Halloween has become known as a time of year for ghosts, goblins, tricks, treats, and a time to be wary of things that go bump in the night. The tone for the holiday season is primarily marked by horror film marathons featuring the likes of Psycho, Friday the 13th, and Halloween. Now, a terrifying musical experience is creeping its way into the mythos of All Hallows Eve
On October 7th, KOCH Records unleashed upon the world a soundtrack for the Halloween season, by an ensemble known as VAN HELSINGS CURSE. The debut album, Oculus Infernum, stitches together chilling classical passages (by way of an 18-piece orchestra), a prophetic choir, and menacing rock music in a veritable Frankensteins monster of musical styles. The metaphoric skin for the album is a complete tale of terror revolving around the cyclical struggle between the forces of good & evil. Specifically, a dark, amorphous entity descends upon the earth and embarks on an unhindered killing spree. An orphaned boy seeks to end this reign of terror and confides in a direct descendant of vampire hunter Dr. Abraham Van Helsing (from Bram Stoker’s Dracula novel) in order to dispatch the entity.
VAN HELSINGS CURSE employs clever reworkings of such memorable classic pieces as Mike Oldfields Tubular Bells (made famous by The Exorcist film), Griegs In The Hall Of The Mountain King, Dies Irae, Jerry Goldsmiths Ave Satani (from The Omen films), Carl Orffs O Fortuna (from Carmina Burana), MussorgskysNight On Bald Mountain, Chopins perennial Funeral March, Beethovens Moonlight Sonata, Stravinskys Firebird Suite, and Holsts Mars, The Bringer Of War.
VAN HELSINGS CURSE is the brainchild of none other than Dee Snider, best known as the lead vocalist of Twisted Sister. A lifelong fan of horror, Snider first made a foray into the genre with the successful cult film StrangeLand and its accompanying soundtrack. In 2000, Dee entrenched himself further in the world of horror by narrating a documentary/retrospect home video regarding the making of the movie Halloween. He also serves as narrator of the Oculus Infernum story.
The guys over at Koch Entertainment were kind enough to hook me up with a pre-release copy of their Halloween themed CD by Van Helsing’s Curse. We don’t normally do music reviews here at the Asylum (although that will be changing very soon) but I think it is my responsibility to let you know that this is an incredible album. And an absolute must for this Halloween season. I myself will be using it in the background of my local Halloween party this coming 31st October. And I think you should to.
Thanks to Chipster Entertainment
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