The Ghoulstars spent four years building a following without releasing a single track – a strange way to do things, but there was clearly enough substance behind the live shows to make people wait. The debut is finally here, and it’s a decent one, even if it took me a minute to warm up to it.
First listen, honestly, didn’t do much for me. Second listen was a different story. This is an album that seems to need the right mood or the right expectations going in – treat it as straight-faced metal and it’ll probably underwhelm you, but go in ready for B-movie horror kitsch and ’80s hard rock worship and it clicks.
The Dark Overlords of the Universe runs 34 minutes, packed with Mötley Crüe strut, gang-vocal punk choruses, and songs about zombies, werewolves, and vampires that don’t take themselves too seriously. There’s a clear Rob Zombie streak running through the record too, that same B-movie stomp and industrial-tinged groove pops up more than once, especially on the punchier tracks. “Too Ghoul for School” opens things at a decent clip. “The Brain That Wouldn’t Die” leans hardest into the Crüe worship and rides mostly on vocalist Arthur “LL Ghoul A” Thure‘s rasp. “The Dead in Purgatory” is the odd one out, a Morricone-flavoured, slower track that trades the camp for something a bit more downbeat.
V. Santura (Triptykon) handled the mix, and it’s not overly polished, there’s still some grit and rawness in there, which suits the songs better than a slicker production would have. More than anything, it just sounds like a band that had a blast making this record, and that comes through in every track. It’s hard not to enjoy an album this unpretentious about having fun. I wouldn’t say no to catching this live at some point either. There are no European dates confirmed yet, but the band recently signed with Nem Agency and are said to have more shows coming.
For what it’s worth, the wider press has been a lot more enthusiastic than I am. Finnish outlet Soundi handed it a 4/5, and most other reviews have leaned toward calling this an already-confident, fully formed debut. Fair enough, but for me it’s a grower rather than an instant classic.
Not essential listening, but if you’re into Wednesday 13, Rob Zombie, Volbeat, or The Misfits, and you know what you’re getting into, it’s worth a spin.
Rating: 7/10
Recordlabel: Season of Mist
Releasedate: May 15th 2026
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)
