Evil teachers, a pet werewolf, cutting class for joyrides in the Cadillac that once belonged to late, great Children of Bodom vocalist and guitarist Alexi “Wildchild” Laiho. Meet The Ghoulstars, a fresh – and frightening – blast from the past.
Since rising from beyond the pop-culture graveyard in 2021, this skeletal group of horror punks have captivated press and tantalized crowds in their native haunt of Finland without releasing a single bloody track. Until now!
Today, The Ghoulstars are delighted to announce their blockbuster debut album. “The Dark Overlords of the Universe” conjures a monstrously catchy mash-up of headbanging heavy metal, fist-pumping punk rock and cult classics. Lead single “Too Ghoul for School” is jam-packed with more antics and attitude than Saturday afternoon detention.
“‘The Dark Overlords of the Universe’ is a love letter to everything that blew our minds as kids”, The Ghoulstars mastermind Markus “Daddy Ghoul” Laakso says. “The album is loaded with huge riffs, big choruses, surprising curve balls and Easter eggs from old horror, sci-fi and coming-of-age movies. Holding it all together is our sheer joy in watching all the pieces fall into the right place”.
Watch the fun and freaky retro video for “Too Ghoul For School” below.
“The Dark Overlords of the Universe” comes out on May 15th, 2026, via Season of Mist.
Pre-order &p re-save “The Dark Overlords of the Universe” here.
Tracklist:
1. Too Ghoul for School (3:57)
2. The Dead in Purgatory (4:04)
3. Zombie Apocalypse (2:52)
4. The Dark Overlords of the Universe (3:43)
5. The Brain That Wouldn’t Die (3:16)
6. Graverobbers from Outer Space (3:46)
7. The Wolfman (2:48)
8. The Ballad of the Cursed Bandits (2:19)
9. Vampire (2:58)
10. They Dance Upon Our Graves (3:52)
Despite their ghostly appearance, The Ghoulstars are a collection of real talent. The band features an all-star cast of current and former members of death-doom royalty and Season of Mist labelmates Hooded Menace, stoner rockers Thermate and Finland’s Top Ten charting Kuolemanlaakso.
What bands these ghouls together on “Too Ghoul for School” is their straight A acumen for all things ‘80s. Like a crossover TV episode, the song mashes together horror and punk into a Super 8mm high school romp. From the high-risers at the back of the classroom, drummer Toni “Ghoulio” Ronkainen pounds his desk with surf beats. Axeman Laakso impresses the ghoulies with his collection of spooky tremolos and righteous riffs. Markus “Hellaghoul” Makkonen causes a scene with rough and rowdy bass lines, freeing rebel yeller Arthur “LL Ghoul A” to slip out back. “Don’t give me sass, I’ve got the gas”, Thure howls as the band punch into a chorus that will have nerds, jocks and principals all raising horns.
“Fast Times at Ridgemont High, The Lost Boys and Ferris Bueller’s Day Off are some of my favorite movies”, Laakso grins. “I love the cliched characters: the nerds, the jocks, the cool kids and rebels. They remind me of my junior high school days”.
While spun off from his real-life schooling, “Too Ghoul for School” recalls the records and VHS tapes that The Ghoulstars hoarded as young skeletons. Mötley Crüe’s pomp, the can’t-do attitude of Twisted Sister and nods to ‘80s coming-of-age comedies all haunt its hallowed grounds. Though whipping around in Alexi Laiho’s Cadillac was beyond the band’s wildest dreams.
“There’s a collector nearby who’s come to possess Alexi’s Cadillac. He let The Ghoulstars borrow it for some after school fun. It was a blast”, Laakso remembers. “We can’t wait to unleash ‘The Dark Overlords of the Universe’ upon the world. As my long-time collaborator and the album’s producer V. Santura told me: ‘The record is unique, catchy and a really fun listen’”.
The video for “Too Ghoul for School” was directed, filmed and edited by Sam Jamsen.
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 applauds. “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 before relishing the song’s death metal finish. 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”, Daddy Ghoul 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.
Lineup:
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 (…and Oceans, Finntrol) – Backing Growls
Tommi “Tuple” Salmela (Tarot, Raskasta Joulua, Lazy Bones) – Backing Vocals on “The Dark Overlords of the Universe”)
Production Credits:
Produced by Markus Laakso
Guitars recorded by Markus Laakso and Erkka Närhi
Vocals recorded by Markus Laakso and Mathias “Vreth” Lillmåns
Drums recorded by Erkka Närhi
Bass recorded by Samu Männikkö and Markus Laakso
Percussion recorded by Markus Laakso
Mixed & Mastered by V. Santura at Woodshed Studio in Germany
Cover Art:
Niko Anttila
Weblinks:
www.theghoulstars.com
www.facebook.com/theghoulstars
