GHOSTEMANE is back with their first new music in five years, and they are not messing about, to say the least.
They are stepping back into the limelight with ‘ZERO DAY’, a forward-thinking, ferocious and fantastically orchestrated piece of modern nu-metal mastery. Bristling with industrial weight and hardcore intensity, it feels like a tribute to the most chaotic elements of the past, whilst still being quintessentially GHOSTEMANE in size and stature.
It is a boot to the temple of the highest calibre, and feels like the beginning of what is set to be a fascinating chapter in a musical story unlike any other.
Get stuck in.
GHOSTMANE released his last full-length album ‘ANTI-ICON’ back in 2020. You can check it out in full below, just to get reacquainted.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, different people had different ways to deal with the increased amount of time they had on their hands. Throw a rock and you could find someone in the arts figuring out what their new project would be. For author J. Hunter Bennett, it became a way to clean out some old books. I would be pressed to think that he knew this endeavor would lead to his latest book, More Punk than the Public Library: The Adventures of a Little Free Punk Rock Bookstore. Here, Bennett describes his accidental building of a punk‑literary micro‑community, and captures its evolution.
Setting up a little library outside his house on a busy corner in his Chevy Chase, DC neighborhood, Bennett started the Nevada Avenue Outdoor Free Bookshop (NAOFB). It was here Bennett decided to unload some of his punk rock and crime books to anyone who walked by. He accompanied this with a monthly newsletter he printed himself and left copies inside. What started as a way to cope with the horrors of the pandemic and the government’s handling of it turned into a staple of Bennett’s neighborhood. It eventually grew into an underground punk zine. This book is a reprinting of the issues, formatted and collected for your convenience. Each chapter goes over each issue or communique, as our editor proprietor gives us a little context before presenting each issue.
Sections like “Hardcore Reading With…” are interviews with various members of the Washington D.C. Hardcore scene as they talk about the books they like and make recommendations. “Fell in Love with a Book” is a column where a guest writer comes in and gives a review of a book that means a lot to them. As issues go on, more columns and sections are added. At one point, his page count gets to about twenty pages. Bennett ends up with a pretty stacked lineup of people to contribute, with interviews from members of bands like Embrace, Velocity Girl, and Dag Nasty. He also gets some cool essays about his personal life, recruiting his sister and mom each for a book review.
While More Punk Than the Public Library… does mostly follow a wash, rinse, repeat format, it’s extremely entertaining. Each chapter is uniform to the context and then a reprinting of the corresponding month’s issue, but the contents of each book will win you over. Despite starting as a personal project, the NAOFB sort of ballooned in the best way possible. What became a way to kill time during one of the darkest times in modern history is now this book. Each issue of Bennett’s zine may tell small stories and anecdotes about the contributors, but this book is a fantastic way to show how a community can come together and be built over something as small as a little library with secondhand books on a street corner.
More Punk than the Public Library: The Adventures of a Little Free Punk Rock Bookstore was published and is available through Microcosm Publishing.
A great rock performance can look almost effortless from the crowd, can’t it? The guitarist is racing from one side of the stage to the other, the drummer is attacking every fill, and the vocalist is somehow singing at full … Continue reading →
Watch a roulette table for ten minutes, even on a phone screen, and a rhythm declares itself: the unhurried spiral of the ball, the settling, the sweep, the pause while the next round gathers itself. Blackjack moves differently, in short … Continue reading →
Musicians spend countless hours recording songs, rehearsing, performing concerts, and traveling between shows. Away from demanding schedules, many famous performers also devote serious time and energy to sports.
Athletic interests among musicians can take many forms. Some stars play mainly for recreation, while others competed at a high level before music became their profession.
Golf, basketball, soccer, track and field, and baseball have all attracted performers known primarily for their work onstage.
Similar skills matter in both music and athletics. Practice, coordination, timing, confidence, competitiveness, and performing under pressure can make a difference in either setting.
Here are seven popular musicians whose interest in sports involved much more than sitting in the audience.
1. Alice Cooper – Golf
Alice Cooper built one of rock music’s most recognizable stage personas with theatrical performances, dark imagery, and songs such as “School’s Out.”
Golf might seem like an unlikely pastime for someone associated with shock rock, but it became one of his biggest interests away from music.
Cooper took up golf in the early 1980s and eventually became an extremely dedicated player. Regular rounds became part of his routine, including periods when he was touring and performing.
His dedication produced a few especially notable results:
Cooper once maintained a 5.3 handicap.
Golf became important enough to inspire his memoir, Alice Cooper, Golf Monster.
Playing while on tour helped turn golf into a consistent part of his lifestyle rather than an occasional celebrity hobby.
Players inspired by Cooper’s dedication to the game can also look at equipment options such as Srixon Iron Sets, which include several configurations for different playing preferences.
Few images could contrast more sharply with Cooper’s concert persona.
Audiences know him for dramatic makeup and theatrical rock shows, yet he has also been perfectly happy spending hours concentrating on a quiet round of golf.
2. Prince – Basketball
Prince’s basketball skills and competitive nature were well established long before they became part of pop culture
Prince had far more than a casual interest in basketball.
Long before his status as an international music star, he played the game while growing up and developed skills that stayed with him during adulthood.
Basketball continued to be part of his recreational life even after albums, concerts, and recording sessions filled his schedule.
His size might not have made him look like an obvious basketball threat, but competitiveness and athletic ability helped make him a surprisingly capable player.
Pop culture eventually turned that reputation into comedy.
A famous Chappelle’s Show sketch portrayed Prince dominating a pickup basketball game before delivering the memorable “Game, Blouses” line.
Few musicians combined flamboyant stage performances and pickup basketball quite like Prince. Music made him famous around the world, but basketball gave him another place to compete.
Rod Stewart’s connection with soccer started during childhood.
His father played the sport and managed amateur teams, helping make soccer a major part of family life.
Stewart became serious about playing himself. He captained his school team and spent part of his youth dreaming about becoming a professional soccer player instead of a singer.
His early soccer experience included several signs that those ambitions were serious:
He captained his school team.
Brentford F.C. gave him a trial.
Professional soccer once looked like a plausible career direction before music took priority.
Passion for the game stayed with him after his singing career took off. Soccer continued to occupy an important place among his personal interests, making him one of rock music’s most enthusiastic followers of the sport.
Stewart has essentially identified singing and soccer as his two natural talents.
One eventually produced a hugely successful recording career, while the other became a lifelong passion that nearly sent him toward a very different profession.
4. Marvin Gaye – Basketball
Basketball remained one of Marvin Gaye’s strongest sporting interests throughout his years in Detroit
Marvin Gaye brought smooth vocals and emotional expression to some of soul music’s most celebrated recordings. Away from music, he also possessed a strong competitive streak that frequently appeared on the basketball court.
Gaye regularly played basketball in Detroit instead of limiting his interest to watching professional games.
St. Cecilia Gym became one of the places associated with his playing, where he competed alongside talented local athletes and professional players.
Basketball later intersected with his musical career in one of his most famous public performances.
Gaye sang the national anthem at the 1983 NBA All-Star Game, creating a memorable connection between his music and a sport he personally enjoyed playing.
Many singers enjoy sports recreationally, but Gaye came unusually close to testing his athletic ability at a professional level.
Bruce Dickinson has built a reputation for having an unusually long list of interests outside his role as Iron Maiden’s frontman.
Aviation, fencing, writing, and athletics have all occupied his time, and soccer also belongs on that list.
Dickinson has been associated with soccer as one of his recreational interests and has expressed affection for Liverpool F.C. His enthusiasm fits naturally with the highly active personality fans have seen throughout his career.
Soccer also connects Dickinson with a broader sporting culture around Iron Maiden:
Band members have taken part in soccer-related events.
Charity matches have added another connection between Iron Maiden and the sport.
Dickinson’s interest in soccer sits alongside fencing, another activity requiring concentration, discipline, and physical effort.
Few frontmen can match Dickinson’s collection of extracurricular interests.
Soccer might be only one item on that list, but it adds another athletic dimension to a musician famous for constantly taking on demanding activities.
6. Garth Brooks – Track and Field
Garth Brooks competed in javelin at Oklahoma State University after earning an athletic scholarship
Garth Brooks was competing inside stadiums before he became famous for filling them with country music fans.
Sports played an important role during his younger years, with football, baseball, and track and field among his athletic interests.
Track and field eventually helped Brooks earn a scholarship to Oklahoma State University.
His event was the javelin, giving his athletic background a very different character compared with celebrity hobbies such as golf or basketball.
Several facts make his college athletic career especially notable:
Brooks attended Oklahoma State University on an athletic scholarship.
Javelin was his primary competitive event.
His sporting background also included football and baseball.
Throwing the javelin requires technique, timing, speed, strength, and repetition. Brooks spent part of his college years working on those skills while competing as an athlete.
Music gradually became his professional focus, leading to a career that made him one of country music’s biggest stars.
Years before songs such as “Friends in Low Places” became concert staples, Brooks was concentrating on how far he could send a javelin.
College competition also separates his story from musicians who picked up a sport after becoming famous. Brooks had already reached a serious competitive level at a time when his future career could still have developed in several directions.
7. Billy Ray Cyrus – Baseball
Baseball earned Billy Ray Cyrus a college scholarship before music became his professional path
Billy Ray Cyrus had legitimate baseball credentials before “Achy Breaky Heart” made him a country music star.
Baseball played a significant enough role in his early life to help him reach college.
Cyrus attended Georgetown College on a baseball scholarship. Receiving that opportunity meant his connection with the sport involved demonstrated ability rather than casual weekend participation.
Baseball still offers an interesting glimpse at the alternate future he once could have followed.
Athletic talent helped open an educational opportunity, while musical talent ultimately took his career in another direction.
Had circumstances developed differently, Cyrus might have become associated with a bat and glove rather than a guitar. His story makes a fitting final example of how close music and serious athletic ambitions can sometimes exist within one person.
Summary
Athletic interests among famous musicians range from recreational passions to legitimate competitive backgrounds.
Music and sports can look like completely separate worlds, yet both demand repetition, timing, coordination, confidence, focus, and competitiveness.
For these seven performers, athletic ability and musical success were never as far apart as they might appear.
Rock style does not require head-to-toe black or a leather jacket every day.
A single strong accessory can change jeans, dresses, tees, or tailoring by adding contrast, weight, or metallic detail.
Using one or two of these elements keeps an outfit wearable while still giving it a harder edge.
Accessories make it easy to control how much attitude an outfit carries.
One belt, pair of boots, necklace, or bag can sharpen a basic look without making it feel overworked. Combining softer clothing with tougher accessories can also create contrast that feels intentional rather than costume-like.
Using one or two strong pieces keeps the look wearable and personal, while leaving room to add more detail when the outfit calls for it.
So, which accessories can give an everyday outfit a stronger rock edge?
1. Studded or Hardware-Heavy Belts
A statement belt can introduce rock influence without changing the rest of an outfit
A statement belt is one of the easiest ways to toughen a simple outfit.
Studs, chain details, oversized buckles, grommets, and metal hardware create a clear focal point without dominating the whole look.
Brands such as Trafalgar offer leather belts and statement buckles that can add structure and a stronger focal point to a simple outfit.
Several combinations make that effect especially clear:
Add a studded belt to jeans and a plain white tee.
Cinch a blazer or oversized shirt with a wide belt featuring a heavy buckle.
Pair a studded belt with a floaty dress to create contrast between soft fabric and hard hardware.
Statement belts work well for anyone who wants rock influence without changing the rest of the wardrobe.
2. Chunky Combat or Biker Boots
Heavy footwear creates contrast and gives softer clothing a stronger visual edge
Combat and biker boots add visual weight, making delicate or polished clothing feel tougher.
Platform soles, buckles, straps, studs, and thick leather increase that effect.
Slip dresses work especially well with combat boots because the heavier footwear offsets the light fabric.
Straight-leg or skinny jeans pair naturally with biker boots, while mini skirts gain more structure when worn with chunky soles.
Boot details can shift the intensity of the look:
Plain black leather keeps the outfit relatively restrained.
Buckles and straps create a stronger biker influence.
Platform soles make footwear a major visual feature.
Studded finishes add a more aggressive punk note.
Heavy boots are one of the fastest ways to make familiar clothing feel more rock-oriented.
3. Layered Chains and Statement Necklaces
Layered metals add depth and turn simple necklines into stronger focal points
Bold necklaces bring metallic detail close to the face and can change a simple neckline quickly.
Chunky chains, oversized pendants, skull motifs, layered pieces, and mixed metals all fit naturally into rock styling.
One dominant necklace works best when the rest of the outfit is clean.
A thick chain over a black tee or a large pendant with a button-down shirt creates a strong focal point without extra accessories.
Layering produces a busier result.
Varying chain lengths keeps individual pieces visible and prevents them competing for the same space.
Mixed metals can make the jewelry feel less polished and more relaxed.
4. Leather or Metal Chokers
Chokers offer a subtle way to introduce punk and rock influences into everyday styling
Chokers add a clear punk or rock reference without taking up much space. Leather bands, chain chokers, metal collars, and hardware details work especially well with open necklines.
A simple black choker can sharpen a white shirt, while a metal choker gives a little black dress a harder finish.
Camisoles and band tees also leave enough space around the neckline for the accessory to register clearly.
Chokers are useful when heavier accessories feel excessive but the outfit still needs a clear rock reference.
5. Stacked Statement Rings and Edgy Earrings
Bold jewelry proves that even small accessories can define the attitude of an outfit
Rings and earrings can create strong impact without changing the clothing.
Chunky bands, skulls, spikes, sculptural shapes, cuffs, and mixed-metal pieces all add visual weight.
Several rings worn across different fingers usually create a stronger effect than one delicate piece.
Changing widths and shapes keeps the stack interesting without requiring matching designs.
Earrings work especially well when hair is pulled back. Spikes, cuffs, sculptural metal shapes, and oversized designs draw attention toward the face.
Balance matters when several accessories are worn together:
Stack rings and bracelets while keeping the necklace restrained.
Pair bold earrings with simpler jewelry near the neckline.
Mix metal finishes instead of matching every piece exactly.
Small accessories can carry much of the outfit’s attitude when their shapes are strong enough.
6. Studded or Chain-Detail Bags
Metal hardware can transform a practical everyday bag into a distinctive style element
A bag is an easy way to add rock influence while keeping clothing relatively polished. It can shift the mood of an outfit without requiring changes to the main pieces.
Studded crossbodies, chain straps, distressed leather, metal buckles, and biker-inspired shapes turn a practical accessory into a stronger visual feature.
Metallic details work especially well against simple tailoring, denim, or softer fabrics because the contrast makes the bag feel intentional.
Compact bags keep hardware concentrated in one area, creating a sharper effect without overwhelming the outfit.
Larger distressed leather styles feel more relaxed and casual, especially when paired with jeans, boots, or oversized layers.
A statement bag is especially useful for anyone who prefers subtle rock styling instead of dramatic clothing. It adds attitude in a controlled way while still fitting naturally into everyday outfits.
7. Bandanas and Oversized Sunglasses
Bandanas and bold eyewear bring rock character without relying on heavy layers or leather
Bandanas and oversized sunglasses add rock-star attitude without relying heavily on metal or leather.
Oversized sunglasses create a different effect.
Dark lenses, angular frames, thick rims, and vintage-inspired shapes add glam-rock energy to simple daytime outfits.
Angular frames tend to look sharper, while oversized rounded styles feel more retro. Both work well with basic combinations such as jeans and a tank or with more polished pieces such as a blazer.
These accessories are also useful in warmer weather when heavy boots or layered jewelry may feel less comfortable.
Closing Thoughts
Rock edge depends more on contrast and attitude than on following a fixed uniform.
A studded belt can sharpen jeans and a tee, combat boots can toughen a slip dress, stacked rings can alter a minimalist outfit, and a chain-detail bag can make tailoring feel less formal.
Starting with one or two pieces keeps the look controlled. Add more only when the accessories work with clothes already in regular rotation.
Rock styling feels strongest when metal, leather, heavy footwear, or bold shapes change the character of an outfit without making it feel like a costume.
Dutch psychedelic post-metal trio An Evening With Knives returns with a new two-track EP The Rabbit & The Mistake on September 2nd, following their 2025 album End Of Time. The release features “The Mistake”, accompanied by a brand-new video created by Paddy Murphy, plus “The Rabbit”, a previously unreleased track rescued from the End Of Time studio sessions. Read more…
Brazil’s top exports include coffee, petroleum, iron ore, frozen bovine meat and now Karen Dió. Snapped up by Hopeless Records for her 2024 EP ‘My World’ EP, she now has to prove success wasn’t a fluke. The pressure is on. You’ve probably seen the slogan, with its three little diagrams, maybe on a t-shirt – ‘This is a chord. Here is another. This is a third. Now form a band’. It encapsules the punk ethos, perfectly. Simple music, held together with attitude. That’s Karen Dió’s modus operandi on her new EP ‘Fugaz’.
Maybe you’ve heard of the uptick in sales of dumb phones and vinyl, maybe there’s a thirst for bygone technology, a desire for honest connection. Dió is a punk, her music fits that bill. It’s built around guitar chord riffs and rapid drum beats with her yelling over the top. It’s a massive contrast to more mainstream artists with their auto-tune and overproduced digital soundscapes. This EP is also a massive contrast to her previous work. She’s never lacked confidence (it’s the sole merit of her bratty breakout hit ‘Sick Ride’) but here the attitude is shaped into something more than a soundbite. Hence, the songs are so much stronger. As ‘Euphoria’ opens with a raw strummed guitar she captures the thrill by singing; ‘I can feel something…’
All six tracks crackle with enthusiasm, whether it’s the stomp of ‘Free Yourself’ or the hi-hat being rattled on ‘Rat Race’, the drums give the music a wicked sense of momentum. Notably on ‘Choke’ the repeating guitar riff works as a flywheel, giving Dió freedom to snap and bark while the song drives itself. The simplicity also means details like squeals of feedback, the distorted bass that opens ‘Rat Race’ or the simple picked lead line on ‘Crawling’ feel intoxicating.
‘Fugaz’ means ‘fleeting’ in Portuguese. That’s a great way to describe Dió’s work. The songs here clock in at around two and a half minutes each, enough to make their point without wearing themselves out. By comparison, the six tracks of ‘My World’ burned past in twelve minutes, yet these feel shorter. They’re stronger ideas and better hooks, fleshed out and moving with intention. The promotional images features her pictured with The Hives’ Pelle Almqvist, a strong comparison.
Last year’s enthusiastic standalone single ‘Bexy’ hinged on cries of ‘Hey!’, and that’s the default position here; the choruses are easy to sing along to. Songs like ‘Euphoria’ or ‘Free Yourself’ are built around surprisingly catchy ‘ahh’ sounds, but it’s not all one note. The verses make the most of her rapid-fire delivery and low-sultry voice, and the way her voice distorts on ‘Crawling’ or ‘Fugaz’ is a great display of passion.
On the EP’s cover, Dió is pictured wearing a distinctive orange jacket while performing a high-kick. There’s a certain irony to this, given punk’s DIY ethos, but it’s a brilliant piece of graphic identity, capturing the music’s personality.
Karen Dió thrives under pressure. ‘Fugaz’ is filled with style, attitude and great songs.
