The Ghoulstars are yet another band new to me. They’re another horror punk outfit I’m very excited about listening to for the first time.
The Ghoulstars are: Arthur “LL Ghoul A” Thure on lead vocals, Markus “Daddy Ghoul” Laakso on guitar and backing vocals, Markus “Hella Ghoul” Makkonen on bass and backing vocals, and Toni “Ghoulio” Ronkainen on drums and percussion.
The band formed back in 2021, have captivated press and tantalised crowds in their native haunt of Finland, but have never released a single track, until now. Their debut album is due to release on 15th May 2026 with 10 tracks. The band summoned V. Santura of Triptykon for the mixing and mastering of the album.
“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!”
The album is also described as a mix of The Misfits, White Zombie, Entombed, and the fifties shades of Volbeat, as well as being unique, catchy, and having a disturbingly entertaining twist.
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.
The band released their first track ‘Too Ghoul For School‘ on 3rd March 2026.
Their second track ‘Graverobbers From Outer Space‘ was released on 8th April 2026.
Wow, what an incredible album to help introduce the band. Horror punk mixed with metal, with unique and catchy fun vibes. This band sure know what they’re doing to attract fans. They have sound effects and recordings to help create that 80s horror movie entertainment. The fast and impressive drumming throughout caught my attention immediately, being my favourite instrument, and is an inspiration to me as I’m learning the drums myself.
The first track to introduce the album is ‘Too Ghoul For School‘ and is a favourite for sure. Catchy lyrics which are easy to sing along to. I especially like the lyrics “School’s for fools, and you ain’t no tool”, “We break every rule, we’re the kings of the cool, yeah”, and repeated lyrics “Too ghoul, too ghoul for school”. I hated school and this song helps let out some anger I still have from those days.
Another track which is a favourite is ‘Zombie Apocalypse‘. The drums are impressive here, so fast and pronounced. It’s a track you can easily headbang to and start a mosh pit! It gives 80s horror vibes with the recordings of a man and woman talking, creating the impression something is about to happen.
‘Graverobbers From Outer Space‘ has harmonising yet chanting vocals at the beginning and throughout the entire track. It’s almost hypnotic in a way. The lead vocals are rough yet aggressive, in the best way of course, creating that spookiness of horror.
And lastly, ‘The Wolfman‘ is heavier and more metal, with the horror punk creeping in throughout. It’s a faster track than the others, the drums in particular are faster and even more impressive. The vocals are more aggressive and heavy, and the epic riffs create that metal sound.
I highly recommend this album and this band in general. Horror punk at its finest. I’m looking forward to seeing what else this band has in store for us all in the future.
