THE GHOULSTARS, a horror punk supergroup from Finland, are releasing the third and final advance single from their debut album The Dark Overlords of the Universe, out May 15th, 2026 on Season of Mist. The title track is accompanied by a music video written and directed by Markus “Daddy Ghoul” Laakso.
“The Dark Overlords of the Universe are an evil alien race from the 1986 film Howard the Duck“, Laakso says. “The movie bombed at the box office, but I’m glad those many-teethed mutants never left my brain. Not only did they give us the perfect name for our first album, they also spawned the title track, which is probably the catchiest song I’ve ever written. We are excited to finally unleash it upon the world!”
The video opens with a nod to George Lucas’ longest-running franchise before stacking up visual references to Barbarella, Kill Bill, Sin City, and the Swedish buddy cop film Kopps. The song itself crosses surf beats and heavy riffing with a guest appearance from Finnish singer Tommi “Tuple” Salmela, producing a chorus that is, as the band put it, destined to never ever grow old.
Video Credits:
Written and directed by Markus “Daddy Ghoul” Laakso. Cinematography, editing and VFX by Riku Jokinen. Lighting by Sami Kokkonen. Set design and villain wardrobe by Markus Laakso.
Starring:
The Ghoulstars feat. Tuple Salmela as the Dark Overlords of the Universe. Miika Kinnunen as the Astro Clone Army. Pasi Kankkunen as the Fly-Eyed Master. Tuple Salmela as the Fly-Eyed Master reincarnated. Toni Hiltunen, Kalle-Pekka Salmela, Sami Kokkonen, Maasu Matilainen and Pasi Kankkunen as the Unfortunate Five.
The Dark Overlords of the Universe has already drawn early praise. Soundi awarded it 4/5, calling it “a monstrously good opening move that’s sure to invite repeated listens” and adding that “this is a band you’ll definitely want to hear more from in the future.” Black Angel Promotion noted that “fans of The Misfits, Wednesday 13, and White Zombie should swarm to this like freshly turned corpses sniffing out warm flesh.”
Pre-order & pre-save The Dark Overlords of the Universe: https://orcd.co/theghoulstarsdarkoverlords
Tracklist:
- Too Ghoul for School (3:57)
- The Dead in Purgatory (4:04)
- Zombie Apocalypse (2:52)
- The Dark Overlords of the Universe (3:43)
- The Brain That Wouldn’t Die (3:16)
- Graverobbers from Outer Space (3:46)
- The Wolfman (2:48)
- The Ballad of the Cursed Bandits (2:19)
- Vampire (2:58)
- They Dance Upon Our Graves (3:52)
Full runtime: 33:37
Old crusty metalheads can be stuck in their ways, but THE GHOULSTARS are a fresh—and frightening—blast from the past. Since invading the land of the living back in 2021, the horror punk supergroup has captivated press and tantalized crowds in their native haunt of Finland without releasing a single bloody track. Until now! Evil mastermind Markus “Daddy Ghoul” Laakso and his fellow pop-culture junkies are raising the cobwebbed curtain from their blockbuster debut album. On The Dark Overlords of the Universe, no tome is too sacred for these ghouls to summon back to life!
“The Dark Overlords of the Universe is a love letter to our fifteen-year-old selves”, Laakso says. “It’s crammed with headbanging metal riffs, shout-along punk rock choruses, B-movie easter eggs, ’80s aesthetics, surprising curveballs and the sheer joy of all the pieces falling into the right places. Move over, Rover, and let the ghouls take over!”
Despite their ghostly appearance, The Ghoulstars are a collection of real talent. Axeman Laakso and goose-bumping drummer Toni “Ghoulio” Ronkainen shared a past life together in the Top Ten charting Finnish death-doom band Kuolemanlaakso. Bassist Markus “Hella Ghoul” Makkonen formerly haunted the low end for Season of Mist labelmates Hooded Menace while moonhowler Arthur “LL Ghoul A” Thure croons for the stoner rockers Thermate.
Banding The Ghoulstars together is a freaky obsession with the classic metal, punk and movies that blew their minds as kids. The Dark Overlords of the Universe is named after the many-teethed mutants from the 1986 cult classic Howard the Duck. “I grew up during a time when movies in Finland were censored, so my hobby was collecting uncensored VHS tapes of horror and sci-fi movies any way I could”, Laakso reveals. As a young skeleton, he frequently raided European record store crates for The Misfits, Bad Religion and obscure metal finds, though the album’s lead single spun off from his schooling in the U.S. With Mötley Crüe’s pomp and the can’t-do attitude of Twisted Sister roaming its halls, lead single “Too Ghoul for School” is jam-packed with more fun-filled ’80s antics than Saturday afternoon detention.
“Fast Times at Ridgemont High, The Lost Boys and Ferris Bueller’s Day Off are some of my favorite movies”, Laakso says. “I love the cliched characters: the nerds, the jocks, the cool kids and the rebels. They remind me of my junior high school days.”
To bring their ingenious creation to life, The Ghoulstars summoned V. Santura of the mighty Triptykon for the mixing and mastering of The Dark Overlords of the Universe. “Graverobbers from Outer Space” pays homage to Ed Wood’s B-horror classic Plan 9 from Outer Space with a straight-up headbanging chorus, though not many clear-cut punk rippers are enlivened by a doomy C-part and güiro. “That’s one of my favorite moments on the album”, Laakso recalls. The Wolfman, a zombie apocalypse, the brain that wouldn’t die and other cultishly beloved touchstones jump out during the album’s crisp 34-minute runtime. Though the band also enter original plots to horror’s hallowed crypt. Set amidst the cruel unfeeling world of the Wild West, “The Dead in Purgatory” rides a galloping melody after Morricone’s heart into a sunset that’s colored by the fifty shades of Volbeat.
“No spoilers, but all cowboy hats aside, that song deals with feeling hopeless and abandoned by someone close to you who needs but refuses your help”, teases Laakso.
The Ghoulstars may be undead, but there’s nothing pale or lifeless about The Dark Overlords of the Universe. The title track crosses surf beats, heavy riffing and a hair-raising transition into a chorus that’s absolutely to die for. “We can’t wait to unleash this delightful horror upon the world”, Laakso says with an ominous glint in his bloodshot eye. “As V. Santura told me: ‘The record is unique, catchy and a really fun listen’.”
With The Dark Overlords of the Universe, The Ghoulstars direct a monstrously catchy mash-up between metal, punk and B-horror.
Line-up:
Markus “Daddy Ghoul” Laakso — Guitars
Toni “Ghoulio” Ronkainen — Drums
Arthur “LL Ghoul A” Thure — Vocals
Markus “Hella Ghoul” Makkonen — Bass
Guest Musicians:
Mathias “Vreth” Lillmåns — Backing Growls
Tommi “Tuple” Salmela — Backing Vocals on “The Dark Overlords of the Universe”
Follow The Ghoulstars:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theghoulstars/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theghoulstars/
Website: https://www.theghoulstars.com/
Bandcamp: https://theghoulstars.bandcamp.com/
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/2Pr3ThFZK0tnUDqDSlMuBX
Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/artist/the-ghoulstars/1872811142
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheGhoulstars
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