Lakeshore Records announces the 
forthcoming release tomorrow, May 22, of the second single taken from the forthcoming Masters of the Universe—Original Motion Picture Soundtrack–the epic title track “Masters of the Universe” performed with skull-shattering force by UK multi-platinum rock heroes The Darkness. The song was written by Academy Award-nominated and Emmy-winning composer Daniel Pemberton (Project Hail Mary, Spider Man: Across The Spider-Verse) with Dan and Justin Hawkins from The Darkness. The song was produced by Dan Hawkins and Daniel Pemberton. The full score album will be released on June 5. The film starring Nicholas Galitzine, Camila Mendes, Alison Brie, James Purefoy, Morena Baccarin, Jóhannes Haukur Jóhannesson, featuring Kristen Wiig with Jared Leto and Idris Elba is in theaters June 5.
Note the band: “When He-Man asked whether we could provide some music for his forthcoming biopic Masters of the Universe we dusted off our trusty loin cloths, assembled in the courtyard of Castle Darkness and bellowed in unison WE HAVE THE POWER
Also, Brian May was there…”
ABOUT MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE
In MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE, Director Travis Knight brings the legendary franchise back to the big screen in this epic live-action adventure. After being separated for 15 years, the Sword of Power leads Prince Adam (Nicholas Galitzine) back to Eternia where he discovers his home shattered under the fiendish rule of Skeletor (Jared Leto). To save his family and his world, Adam must join forces with his closest allies, Teela (Camila Mendes) and Duncan/Man-At-Arms (Idris Elba), and embrace his true destiny as He-Man — the most powerful man in the universe.
ABOUT THE DARKNESS
It was back in 2003 that we witnessed the start of a love affair between one of the most extraordinary and best loved bands to come from the UK and fans all around the world. The Darkness exploded from their Lowestoft roots to global success when they released their debut album Permission To Land to almost overnight success. It topped the UK charts, going 5x Platinum and selling over 1.5 million copies in the UK alone, whilst also becoming a huge success everywhere from the USA to Australia, Germany to Japan.
The album spawned a series of hit singles including ‘I Believe In A Thing Called Love’, ‘Growing On Me’, ‘Get Your Hands Off My Woman’ and ‘Love Is Only A Feeling’. It also clocked up a series of awards including three BRIT Awards, two Kerrang Awards and an Ivor Novello for ‘Songwriters Of The Year’ amongst many others.
The Darkness played a number of landmark shows, including a headline set at the 2004 Reading & Leeds Festivals, as part of a whirlwind career of global touring and international success. The band then followed the success of their debut with the 2005 album One Way Ticket To Hell… And Back, which produced the Top 10 hit ‘One Way Ticket’.
However the pressures of fame took their toll and in 2006 lead singer Justin Hawkins left the band, checking into rehab and The Darkness were no more. Yet, like a veritable phoenix rising from the ashes of despair, the band reformed in 2011 touring Europe and South America the following year with Lady Gaga. They released their comeback album Hot Cakes that year and Last Of Our Kind in 2015.
In 2017 the band ushered in a new era with the release of Pinewood Smile and the critically acclaimed record became their third UK Top 10 album. With its successor Easter Is Cancelled (2019) achieving equally great heights there seemed no stopping the band. However, that album’s title proved semi-prophetic and following its release the world plunged into the Covid-19 pandemic.
Undaunted, they released their most recent studio album album Motorheart in 2021 which not only received some of the best reviews of their career but once more catapulted them straight back onto the upper echelons of festival bills such as Download and saw them pack out the arenas around the country with fervent fans hungry for the band’s return to the stage.
2022 saw The Darkness perform incendiary shows around the world while, in tandem with their touring, fabulous frontman Justin was quickly becoming the internet’s favourite rock ‘n’ roll personality with his highly revered Justin Hawkins Rides Again podcast.
The Darkness then came full circle as their game-changing debut album Permission To Land turned 20 in 2023. They rang in the anniversary year with a performance of the timeless classic ‘I Believe In A Thing Called Love’ on BBC One’s New Year’s Eve programming and by selling out arena shows including Wembley with Black Stone Cherry. The band continued to be lauded as rock gods throughout the year, performing with Guns N’ Roses at BST London Hyde Park, as well as KISS in Norway amongst many other hugely acclaimed shows.
A specially expanded Permission To Land deluxe album was released via Warner Music and their 2023 Permission To Land 20 world tour sold out shows across the globe. In November a critically acclaimed documentary film entitled Welcome To The Darkness premiered in cinemas across the UK to rave reviews.
The band’s most recent studio album, Dreams on Toast, released in 2025, scaled the heights of the UK music charts, reaching number two in the UK charts, with number ones in the Rock & Metal, Indie and Vinyl Album charts. Singles bounced around the charts and won yet more acclaim, whilst the furious pace of touring continued throughout the year.
In 2026, The Darkness celebrate their status as British National Treasures by supporting Iron Maiden at their iconic Knebworth show, and with an extensive and lavishly packaged ‘best of’ album, cheekily titled Crock of Hits, released by Warner Music in October, and celebrated with a run of Arena shows in the UK in December.
And so, here we are – more than 20 years after The Darkness exploded with a big bang which changed the face of British rock music forever, their cheeky, spandex-clad anthems continue to capture hearts, and a new generation of fans, around the world today.
ABOUT DANIEL PEMBERTON
DANIEL PEMBERTON is an Academy Award-nominated and Emmy winning composer and songwriter who has regularly been cited as one of the most exciting and original new voices working in modern film scoring today. He has scored films for some of the industry’s most legendary figures such as Ridley Scott (All the Money in the World, The Counselor), Phil Lord and Chris Miller (Project Hail Mary, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse), Celine Song (Materialists), Michael Mann (Ferrari), Danny Boyle (Yesterday, Steve Jobs), Aaron Sorkin (Being The Ricardos, The Trial of the Chicago 7, Molly’s Game), Ari Aster (Eddington), David O Russell (Amsterdam), Edward Norton (Motherless Brooklyn) and Guy Ritchie (The Man From U.N.C.L.E., King Arthur: Legend of the Sword) and written songs with the likes of Mick Jagger, Iggy Pop, Busta Rhymes, Drake, Celeste and many more.
He has been nominated five times as Film Composer Of The Year for his vastly broad range of work by the World Soundtrack Awards (WSA) as well as winning the prestigious honour in 2021 from both the WSA and also the international film music critics association IFMCA.
Comfortable composing for everything from rock bands to symphonic orchestras, record-scratchers to jazz quintets, Pemberton’s innovative scores have consistently been singled out for critical acclaim. His other credits include studio films such as Enola Holmes, The Bad Guys, Birds of Prey and Ocean’s Eight as well as smaller independent features such as the Sundance winner Brian And Charles, acclaimed Thai caves documentary The Rescue (for which he won the Critics Choice Original Score award), Cannes Palme d’Or competitor Mal de Pierres or the powerful Paralympics documentary Rising Phoenix, for which Pemberton won a Sports Emmy Award for Best Music Direction. He also works in series on shows such as Black Mirror and espionage thriller Slow Horses, including co-writing its BAFTA nominated main title theme song “Strange Game” with Mick Jagger.
Pemberton’s recent scores include A24’s “The Drama” starring Zendaya and Robert Pattinson and Amazon/MGM’s “Project Hail Mary” starring Ryan Gosling.
ABOUT BRIAN MAY
Sir Brian May, CBE, PhD, FRAS is a founding member of Queen, world-renowned guitarist, songwriter, producer and performer, also a Doctor of Astrophysics, 3-D stereoscopic photographic authority and advocate for animal rights.
Queen’s accolades accrued over five decades include a staggering list of sales with a catalogue that consistently tops popularity polls, along with a deserved list of awards and honours. Brian has penned 22 Queen top 20 hits, among them the powerful ballads ‘Who Wants to Live Forever’, ‘No-One But You’ and ‘Save Me’, along with anthems ‘The Show Must Go On’, ‘I Want It All’, and ‘We Will Rock You’, namesake to the Queen/Ben Elton hit musical which enjoyed an unprecedented 12 year run at London’s Dominion Theatre alongside numerous worldwide productions. Iconic sports anthem, ‘We Will Rock You’ was performed live by Brian and Roger during the London 2012 Olympics closing ceremony, viewed by an estimated one billion TV audience. Other memorable global live appearances include the band’s 1985 Live Aid show stealing set and during the 2002 Golden Jubilee celebrations, Brian playing his own arrangement of ‘God Save the Queen’ from the rooftop of Buckingham Palace.
Queen became the first rock group to score a major film, Flash Gordon, followed by definitive music for Highlander. Brian’s personal credits include further film, TV and theatre collaborations and two successful solo albums earning him two Ivor Novello awards. He continues to inspire a diverse genre of international artists and has a wealth of guest artist appearances featuring his distinctive guitar style, produced from his revered homemade ‘Red Special’ guitar using a sixpence as a plectrum.
Brian was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 2005 and received a Knighthood in the 2023 New Year Honours List for services to Music and to Charity. He enjoys interacting with his fans on Instagram @brianmayforreal.
ABOUT LAKESHORE RECORDS
Lakeshore Records is a GRAMMY-winning record label, and the soundtrack arm of the Cutting Edge Group. Lakeshore Records is the global independent leader in top line soundtrack album releases, including such popular, critically acclaimed and classic soundtracks as Bridgerton, Stranger Things, Wednesday, Fallout, John Wick, Whiplash, Scott Pilgrim Takes Off, Drive, Cyberpunk 2077 / Edgerunners, Star Trek: Picard, Bojack Horseman, The Walking Dead, Napoleon Dynamite, Red Dead Redemption 2, the Grammy-winning Assassin’s Creed Valhalla: Dawn of Ragnarok, the Academy Award nominated Lady Bird and Academy Award winners Moonlight, Little Miss Sunshine, American Factory, If Beale Street Could Talk, The Hurt Locker and many, many more.
For more information, contact: www.lakeshorerecords.com
Read Lakeshore’s blog Soundtracks, Scores And More here: https://soundtracksscoresandmore.com
