Finnish horror punk supergroup THE GHOULSTARS have released the title track from their debut full-length album "The Dark Overlords of the Universe", due May 15, 2026 via Season of Mist. The track serves as the third and final advance single from the record, and it arrives with a music video written and directed by guitarist Markus "Daddy Ghoul" Laakso himself.
The song draws its name from an unlikely cinematic source. "The Dark Overlords of the Universe are an evil alien race from the 1986 film Howard the Duck," Laakso explains. "The movie bombed at the box office, but I'm glad those many-teethed mutants never left my brain. Not only did they give us the perfect name for our first album, they also spawned the title track, which is probably the catchiest song I've ever written. We are excited to finally unleash it upon the world!"
The video is a love letter to pop-culture obsessives: opening with a Star Wars-style crawl, it weaves in visual nods to Barbarella, Kill Bill, Sin City, and Swedish buddy cop film Kopps. The track itself blends surf beats, heavy riffs, and a guest appearance from Finnish star Tuple Salmela into a chorus built for eternal replayability.
THE GHOULSTARS unite current and former members of Finnish death-doom legends HOODED MENACE, stoner rockers THERMATE, and Top Ten chart alumni KUOLEMANLAAKSO. Soundi magazine awarded the album a 4/5, calling it "a monstrously good opening move that's sure to invite repeated listens."
The album is available for pre-order now ahead of its May 15 release.