The Dark Overlords of the Universe

Old crusty metalheads can be stuck in their ways, but THE GHOULSTARS are a fresh — and frightening — blast from the past. Over the last four years, this supergroup of horror punks has captivated press and tantalized crowds in their Finnish haunt without releasing a single bloody track. Now, at long last, 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!Despite their ghostly appearance, THE GHOULSTARS are a collection of real talent. Axeman Daddy Ghoul and goose-bumping drummer Toni “Ghoulio” Ronkainen shared a past life together in Kuolemanlaakso. Bassist Markus “Hella Ghoul” Makkonen formerly haunted the low end for Hooded Menace while moonhowler Arthur “LL Ghoul A” Thure croons for the stoner rockers Thermate. But even though the initial inspiration for the band came after burning rubber to Venom, ‘The Dark Overlords of the Universe’ is possessed by a love for everything that blew their minds as kids. 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.The Misfits, White Zombie and other cultishly beloved touchstones like The Wolfman jump out during the album’s crisp 34-minute runtime. “Graverobbers from Outer Space” pays homage to a B-horror classic with a headbanging chorus, though not many straight-up punk rippers are enlivened by a doomy C-part and güiro. 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. “And we shall never ever grow old”.With ‘The Dark Overlords of the Universe’, THE GHOULSTARS direct a monstrously catchy mash-up between metal, punk and B-horror.