Interviews About Albums: The Ghoulstars - The Dark Overlords Of The Universe (2026)

In this new interview, we sat down with the Finnish Horror Punk/Metal band The Ghoulstars to ask questions about their album, "The Dark Overlords Of The Universe".

1. What can you say about this new album, The Dark Overlords of the Universe?

It’s a monstrously catchy mix of horror punk and metal.

2. The band mixes horror themes, punk energy, and heavy metal riffs. How did the idea for The Ghoulstars originally come together?

I was returning from a road trip after a very stressful recording session with my previous band, Kuolemanlaakso. I felt a sudden need to listen to “Welcome to Hell” by Venom. As I was blasting the record, I had an Eureka moment: this is what I want to do next; not everything has to be polished and played flawlessly. The attitude and delivery are more important.

When I got back home, I wrote ”Vampire” on the very next day, and things picked up from there. I felt extremely motivated and composed 8 songs in 9 days, most of which are on this album.

At first, I just did the songs for fun, but as they turned out great, I phoned up a couple of buddies and asked them to come over to listen to my demos. They loved them, and the rest is history.

The drummer Toni ”Ghoulio” Ronkainen (Kuolemanlaakso, Rootbrain, etc.) is my #1 go-to guy in all my projects, so it was a no-brainer to ask him first. The bassist Markus ”Hella Ghoul” Makkonen (ex-Hooded Menace, Sadistik Forest) is an old friend and cool dude with whom I share a very similar taste in music. The singer Arthur “LL Ghoul A” Thure (Thermate) was the only dude that I didn’t personally know before, but he came with the highest of recommendations from a bunch of friends. He was a perfect match – on stage, in the studio, and in his free time!

The main thing that connects us is the genuine love for the same kind of music, movies, art, pop culture icons, and famous monsters.

3. Horror movies seem to be a big inspiration for the band. Which films or directors had the biggest influence on this album?

I’d say the works of Lucio Fulci, George Romero, Francis Ford Coppola, and Ed Wood certainly had an effect, but the influences go far beyond individual movies or moviemakers. The album offers a turbo boost of pop culture and intertextual references. We’re enormous b-horror and sci-fi, arthouse and music geeks, which made this album fun to make.

I’ve always loved movie samples and sound effects on records. They intensify the listening experience and make it more immersive. A lot of the song titles and spoken word samples that we used are from specific black and white B-movies, but the lyrics tell their own stories.

4. If you have to pick one song, which one would you pick?

My personal favorite from the album is They Dance Upon Our Graves. It pretty much showcases the whole spectrum of the album in 3–4 minutes. A bit of doom, a bit of death, fragility, a slight touch of Spaghetti Westerns, stylish woo-oos, killer melodies, and a punk rock chorus.

5. Is there a special message in this album? If there is, what is it?

Not really, no. The message for me personally is that not everything has to be grim, evil, and serious; it can also be entertaining and fun. It doesn’t mean that it’s soulless or empty. I’m very proud of the compositions, and some of the lyrics are extremely personal and meaningful to me. Some texts are there just to fit the mood of the song and concept of the band.

6. Are there some lyrics that you’d love to share?

I’m quite fond of the first verses of They Dance Upon Our Graves, which is one of the more personal ones on the record:

A lonely soul hums a lonely song

In this hollow life we’re leading

A desperate cry of a desperate heart

Bare, bruised, and dark

Abandon hope, abandon fear

Make the monsters disappear

This is the final endgame

Hear me scream

I think that Too Ghoul for School turned out pretty sweet as well with all its coming-of-age college horror comedy clichés. It’s partly influenced by my own experiences in a Southern Californian junior high school.

Do you, do you wanna

Have some fun-ah

A nocturnal rendezvous

Be-bob-a-lula, let’s skip school-a

Don’t give me sass, I’ve got the gas

Hey! Sit back in my Cadillac

Can’t you see there’s no turning back

School’s for fools, and you ain’t no tool

Nerds, jocks and teachers, they’re all after you

By the way, that’s Alexi Laiho’s old Cadillac that we’re cruising in in the video.

7. Which inspirations have been important for this album? Musically or personally— friends, family, bands, or anyone you'd like to thank?

B-horror and sci-fi movies, 80s coming-of-age comedies, many bands including The Misfits, Pentagram, The Coffinshakers, White Zombie, Alice Cooper, Twisted Sister, Mötley Crüe, Bad Religion, Danzig, KISS, W.A.S.P., and so on. And not only the music, but also their videos, album covers, photos, and other imagery.

Movie soundtracks are a key influence on us, too. I’m sure the second album will be more influenced by them than the first one.

I’d like to thank everyone who has supported us, come to our shows, and listened to our music – or better yet, bought our album and merch. That’s the only way to keep bands alive.

A big shout-out to our label, Season of Mist. They’re doing great work.

8. Something to add for the readers and listeners? 

Beware, take care, and stay too ghoul for school!

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