VAN HELSING'S CURSE (www.vanhelsingscurse.com), the Halloween-themed musical project helmed by TWISTED SISTER frontman Dee Snider, will be embarking on its first-ever theater tour this October, and will be accompanied by Dee.

The following is a press release issued for the occasion:

For Immediate Release: Every season spawns holidays, and each holiday bears long-standing, celebratory traditions. This autumn, a new annual ritual will befall Halloween. The classical/rock music amalgam known as Van Helsing’s Curse is bringing its spectral horror-inspired ambience to the stage throughout the month of October.

The troupe’s debut album, Oculus Infernum, released last Halloween through KOCH Records, stitches together chilling classical passages (by way of an 18-piece orchestra), a prophetic choir, and menacing rock music in a sinewy Frankenstein’s monster of musical styles.

Van Helsing’s Curse employs a plethora of heart-pounding and clever reworking of such memorable classic pieces as Mike Oldfield’s ‘Tubular Bells’ (made famous by The Exorcist film), Grieg’s ‘In The Hall Of The Mountain King’, ‘Dies Irae’, Jerry Goldsmith’s ‘Ave Satani’ (from The

Omen films), Carl Orff’s ‘O Fortuna’ (from Carmina Burana), Mussorgsky’s ‘Night On Bald Mountain’, Chopin’s perennial ‘Funeral March’, Beethoven’s ‘Moonlight Sonata’, Stravinsky’s ‘Firebird Suite’, and Holst’s ‘Mars, The Bringer Of War’; as well as a host of terrifying original compositions. Oculus Infernum reaches its ominous climax with a spine-chilling cover version of Black Sabbath’s classic ‘Black Sabbath’.

Van Helsing’s Curse will embark on a theater tour in October to enhance the Halloween season, adding a new element to the holiday’s festivities. Music from Oculus Infernum will also be spotlighted at genre conventions, party stores and the popular seasonal haunts & hayrides that have become staples for Halloween.

Last year, Van Helsing’s Curse music was utilized during Six Flags Great Adventure theme park’s Fright Fest celebration throughout October, accompanied by a fireworks display.

Van Helsing’s Curse is the brainchild of none other than Dee Snider, best known as the lead vocalist of Twisted Sister. Snider will host each date of the tour, providing narration & setting the tone for the performances.

He offers insight to what music fans can expect this fall, “Our staging is very old world versus new world with regards to the music. The new world rips out a guitar break, the old world counters with a searing violin solo. We worked throughout the record with that kind of tension, where both schools of music are working together but competing at the same time. And visually, on stage, we want to present that as well.

This is a very visual entity. The string section is going to be old school Goths, made-up and dressed accordingly, with flowing dresses, velvet jackets and ruffled shirts – a very Anne Rice look. The electric section is very new-school, Hellraiser meets Marilyn Manson, from the hair to the makeup and attire. Our choir will be a group of druids with hooded robes and skewed faces.”

He continues, “one of the other things we are developing right now is a DVD production of the show, which will be very involved. We are working with two very great directors, John Buechler [known for his directorial and special effects work on a plethora of horror–related films, including Friday The 13th Part VII: The New Blood, From Beyond, Re-Animator, A Nightmare On Elm Street 4: The Dream Master, Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers] who will be developing the storyline for the DVD and film in dramatic fashion and Mark Aldo Miceli [Grammy-award winning director of Madonna’s Blond Ambition home video and The Girlie Show televised event], who will direct the concert footage. We are planning to feature the dramatic footage simultaneously on-screen during the concert, for a visceral multimedia presentation.”

In addition to the live show, Snider will be coordinating a number of in-store appearances (music and Halloween) and haunts around the country to further expose the message of Van Helsing’s Curse. A special Pay Per View event is also in discussion for October, and Snider is in negotiations to become the primary voice and host for forthcoming Scream Network (a horror-based television channel).

Snider enthuses about the widespread possibilities for the Van Helsing’s Curse project, “As the creator for Van Helsing’s Curse, I think the original vision is far-reaching. I see us establishing Van Helsing’s Curse as a significant yearly Halloween experience and a musical part of that experience. Right now, for the most part, people’s Halloween activities include visiting a haunt, going trick or treating, going to a Halloween party or watching horror movie marathons. But the musical element is sorely lacking, and Van Helsing’s Curse provides that soundtrack for people’s Halloween. It’s definitely a far-reaching concept that can translate into TV, videogames, theater, movies, etc., but it all starts here with the music and our upcoming tour.”

A lifelong fan of horror, Snider first made a foray into the genre writing, producing and starring in the successful cult film StrangeLand and its accompanying soundtrack. A sequel to the film is currently in production. In 2000,Deeentrenched himself further in the world of horror by narrating a documentary/retrospect home video regarding the making of the movie Halloween.   He will make his next foray onto the silver screen with an appearance in the forthcoming thriller Deepwater.