Spooky is the name, yet wicked is the game!
Finnish horror punk crew The Ghoulstars pump out a themed album that tickles your spine and feeds your deathly urges. Pop culture samples and horror references are woven all through each track, giving horror punk fans plenty to sink their teeth into.
The Dark Overlords Of The Universe spends thirty four minutes gracing your ears and soul in its own twisted way. Crushing riffs, heavy bass and crazy unique genre use make this a proper mashup of B horror movie obsession, punk and metal. Drawing inspiration from White Zombie, The Misfits and Murderdolls, The Ghoulstars bring a truly epic sound to hold.
The lineup features Arthur “LL Ghoul A” Thure on vocals, Markus “Hella Ghoul” Makkonen on bass, Toni “Ghoulio” Ronkainen on drums and Markus “Daddy Ghoul” Laakso rocking the wicked riffs on guitar. Such a great lineup, with some guest artists bringing even more talent and care into the mix.
The Wolfman
Starting off with awesome grasping riffs and a tune stuck in my head, The Wolfman made me feel a tad feral.
This song has great emotions, whether it be the clang of the cymbals or that heavy ass bass. Definitely my favourite song on the album. This track takes samples from the 1941 pop culture horror classic The Wolf Man, a perfect piece of original horror media to sample for such an album.
I even spent a few minutes watching the movie to understand the reference and sample better. Not a bad watch for sure. I could feel myself rocking to The Wolfman’s tune. Just a great track.
“The wolfman gets you…”
Vampire
Woah! The opening snapped me into place. I wasn’t sure what I was getting myself into until that bass hit me hardcore. The guitar coming in and out through my headphones was just wicked.
“The devil waits” indeed.
This song has that sick evil tone to it, plus I really love vampires, so that is another gold star for The Ghoulstars. The Dark Overlords Of The Universe is fun and exciting, and Vampire captures this all around, bringing that horror house rollercoaster feel to the journey.
LL Ghoul A’s voice is perfect, with the soul of Rob Zombie himself shining through him.
Epic.
The Ghoulstars have put the rest of their rotten brains into this fantastic album. The track names are even based on some of their favourite movies.
“Fast Times at Ridgemont High, The Lost Boys and Ferris Bueller’s Day Off are some of my favourite movies,” Laakso explains.
These undead legends have turned music into their own passion, blending two pieces of media to create deadly rhythm, catchy tunes and the style of a great era.
Thank you for your hard work lads. Your ghostly appearance, chilling lyrics and heavy riffs bring the original horror movie era back to life.
Do not forget to stay ghoul!
May The Riffs Guide You,
Mr Doom, Out!
Order/Stream
https://orcd.co/theghoulstarsdarkoverlords
The Ghoulstars 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, backing growls
Tommi “Tuple” Salmela, backing vocals on The Dark Overlords Of The Universe
Follow The Ghoulstars
Official Website: http://www.theghoulstars.com
Bandcamp: https://theghoulstars.bandcamp.com
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/2Pr3ThFZK0tnUDqDSlMuBX
Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/the-ghoulstars/1872811142
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theghoulstars/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theghoulstars/
