Author: Jodie Sloan

she/her Brisbane/Meanjin I like fancy cocktails, pro wrestling, and spooky shit.

Book Review: Step into the Underworld with Nikita Gill’s verse novel Hekate

Hekate, the daughter of Titans, has never known safety. When her parents are on the losing side of war with Zeus, her mother Asteria seeks refuge in the Underworld, where Styx and Hades agree to raise Hekate. Asteria flees, pursued by Zeus and Poseidon, while Hekate’s father, the Titan Perses, is captured, locked away somewhere…

Read more

Live Review: bbno$ brings big meme energy to Brisbane’s Riverstage

    It’s Wednesday night at Brisbane Riverstage, and Vancouver rapper bbno$ is about to play the biggest show of his career. Originally slated to play the 3000 capacity Fortitude Music Hall, the Brisbane show sold out so fast that the night was quickly upgraded to Riverstage, a venue with triple the capacity – and…

Read more

Book Review: Stark Holborn muses on death and redemption in acid Western novella For The Road

Staggering through the desert, Jesse Bartos stumbles across a train station. Wounded and with only fragmented memories of what brought him to Dawn’s Holt station, he’s taken in by a welcoming, albeit strange, family, who assure him that the train will come. He just has to be patient. Stark Holborn returns with fever dream For…

Read more

Book Review: Amy Hutton’s Ghosted is a true spooky season surprise

Holly is a professional ghost-whisperer, convincing unruly and unwanted spirits to go into the light. It’s honest-ish work – those ghosts are making life difficult for the living, after all – but she’d be lying if she said she couldn’t use a big payday. Enter Callum. Successful paranormal investigator and podcast host. Oh, and Holly’s…

Read more
Zebrahead

Live Review: Zebrahead tear up Crowbar Brisbane

Shoeys, crowd surfers, and circle pit after circle pit after circle pit. Only Zebrahead could bring this much chaos to a Sunday night in Brisbane. Support came from the Thomas Nicholas Band – yes, that Thomas Nicholas – delivering a slice of late 90s/early 2000s skate pop punk that wouldn’t be out of place on…

Read more

EP Review: Torizon release debut EP Meliora

Meanjin/Brisbane petalcore outfit Torizon have just dropped their debut EP Meliora, exploring infertility through the characters of Luna and Sam. It’s rich and emotive, blending heavy sounds with vocal and lyrical vulnerability. Torizon teamed with Emerge Creative to create short videos accompanying the single releases, exploring how the couple fall apart from the grief, but…

Read more

Book Review: Ruby Jean Cottle’s Black River is an intoxicating paranormal YA

Ever since her mother left, Dusty has always been a little withdrawn. Eschewing crowds and sticking with her younger sister Opi and best friend Mali, her books and the beautiful wilderness that surrounds her mountain home are enough for her. But one morning Dusty wakes with dirt on her feet, and no recollection of how…

Read more

Book Review: Class tensions simmer in Stacey McEwan’s romantasy A Forbidden Alchemy

Nina and Patrick first meet at the age of 12, whisked away to Belavere City to undergo a traditional rite of passage. Here, children discover their calling: the alchemical magic of the Artisans or the essential yet undervalued work of the Craftsmen. But, as they wait to find their fate, Nina and Patrick uncover a…

Read more

RinRin opens up her musical multiverse with The Nut House

RinRin – the musical project of Perth-based singer-songwriter Qarin Hipe – will drop debut album The Nut House later this week. Taking cues from the likes of Poppy, BABYMETAL, and Bring Me The Horizon, RinRin’s sound is an eclectic mash-up, with metal, pop-punk, and pop influences punctuated by big riffs and bigger screams. Upcoming LP…

Read more

Calling all Teenage Dirtbags: Wheatus are heading to Australia in 2026

It’s been 25 years since Wheatus released their self-titled debut, complete with iconic noughties classic “Teenage Dirtbag“. To celebrate this massive milestone, the band have lined up a run of shows across Australia in January 2026. New Zealand fans won’t miss out either, with Wheatus also announcing their first ever NZ dates as part of…

Read more

Motionless in White announce 2026 Australian tour

Motionless in White are set to play their biggest Australian shows yet, with dates announced for Melbourne, Sydney, and Brisbane. They’ll arrive Down Under in June next year, with support from Currents and Perth’s own Make Them Suffer. Known for their blend of industrial metal and almost cinematic gothic pop, Motionless in White are a…

Read more

I saw The Used three times in one week, and here’s what I learned

Emo icons The Used head into the final week of the Aussie leg of their massive 25th anniversary tour. It’s been a true throwback run, with the band performing their first three albums in full – one each night, in each city. Dates sold out fast, venues were upgraded, and new shows were added, and…

Read more

UK indie icons Bloc Party brighten a rainy Friday in Brisbane

It’s a Friday night, it’s raining, I’m caught up at work, and I have somewhere I need to be. Brisbane Riverstage, to be exact, to see British indie band Bloc Party, as they tour in celebration of 20 years of debut album Silent Alarm. The late finish at work meant we didn’t arrive in time…

Read more

Exclusive Video Premiere: Call the Mourning “Break” (2025)

Brisbane/Meanjin’s Call the Mourning recently dropped single “Break“, an angsty musing on obsession and the last release ahead of their upcoming EP. Today we’re excited to be premiering the accompanying music video exclusively here on The AU Review. Call the Mourning consists of Constance Grafos (vocals/guitar), Dominic Willimott (drums), and new addition Kai Giovanni (bass),…

Read more

Kim Dracula and Wednesday 13 announce 2025 Australian tour

Nu-metal fusion artist Kim Dracula is heading home to Australia later this year, teeing up a string of dates with very special guest Wednesday 13. Known for their wild blend of genres, huge vocal range, and wildly theatrical stage show, Kim Dracula has come a long way from their Tasmanian beginnings. Collabs with Jonathan Davis…

Read more

Pierce The Veil set dates for Australian leg of world tour

Platinum selling post-hardcore act Pierce The Veil are heading our way in 2026, announcing the Australian leg of their I Can’t Hear You World Tour. They’ll hit Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, and Perth in April of next year, with support from Movements and Jack Kays. The San Diego trio’s latest tour has been a massive…

Read more

Brisbane’s Torizon drop emotional new single “Currents”

Meanjin/Brisbane petalcore outfit Torizon are back with their new single “Currents”, the third chapter in the story of Sam and Luna, characters navigating the aftermath of a tragic miscarriage. Taken from upcoming EP Meliora, “Currents” follows on from previous singles “Bloom” and “Sober”, exploring themes of grief and resilience. The band say: “This track reflects…

Read more

Nine Days share the 5 craziest places they’ve heard “Absolutely (Story Of A Girl)”

It’s been 25 years since Nine Days‘ “Absolutely (Story Of A Girl)” first wormed its way into our ears, with a new generation of listeners falling in love all over again when it appeared in the Oscar winning Everything Everywhere All At Once, reimagined by songwriter John Hampson. To celebrate this massive milestone – as…

Read more

Book Review: Mikaella Clements and Onjuli Datta’s Feast While You Can

There’s a monster living in Cadenze. Confined to a pit deep inside the mountain, it’s been waiting – hungering – for its next meal. And Angelina Sicco, with her wonderfully full life, tops the menu. Attaching itself to her, the monster lurks somewhere in Angelina’s mind, waiting for the perfect moment to feast. But both…

Read more

Book Review: Zena Shapter reveals further secrets of Palude in When Dark Waters Burn

For Sala and Kib, hiding beneath the lake in the safety of Kib’s ship, life has become fairly comfortable. Kib is researching the planet, using his technology to learn as much as he can about Palude. And Sala is waiting on the keei eggs laid on the wings of the ship to mature enough to…

Read more

bbno$ announces Australia and New Zealand tour dates

Vancouver rapper and TikTok sensation bbno$ (alias Alex Humuchian) has just announced an Australian and New Zealand tour, set for later this year. The “it boy” and “Edamame” artist has amassed billions of streams globally, blending his infectious sound with a wickedly whimiscal online presence. Most recent release “mary poppins” saw 100% of the music…

Read more

Album Review: FANGZ’ debut album Shui proves they’re far more than just party punks

Later this week, Sydney/Eora punks FANGZ will unleash long-awaited debut album Shui (like FANGZ shoo-ey, get it?). Already suitably hyped by singles “Wasting Time”, “Wide Awake”, “Same Old Story”, and recent release “Anne Marie”, Shui comes to us via Impressed Recordings, and will drop on Friday July 4th. Of the new album, frontman Josh Cottreau…

Read more

Guest Playlist: The Juliana Theory’s Joshua Fiedler shares the tracks that shaped their sound

Emo pioneers The Juliana Theory are just a few weeks away from returning to Australia, teaming up with The Spill Canvas for a co-headline tour. They’ll be celebrating the 25th anniversay of their album Emotion Is Dead and, ahead of the tour, we asked guitarist Joshua Fiedler to share the tracks that helped craft that…

Read more
Fangs for Nothing

Book Review: Steffanie Holmes’ Fangs for Nothing is a cozy paranormal romance with bite

Lord Alaric Valerian has spent centuries isolated in his crumbling castle, busying himself with his artistic endeavours, and making a fine mess while doing it. But, even vampires suffer from overbearing parents and his mother has decided that Black Crag Castle is the perfect place for a ball – a ball where they will announce…

Read more

Eora/Sydney punks FANGZ annnounce new single “Anne-Marie” and debut album Shui

It’s a big week for Eora/Sydney punks FANGZ. Announce signing to Impressed Recordings – check Announce release of debut album Shui – check Drop details of upcoming album tour – check Release new single “Anne-Marie” – scheduled for May 30th We’ll start start with the Impressed Recordings announcement, revealed yesterday in an exclusive with The…

Read more

Book Review: Lili Wilkinson’s Unhallowed Halls is a tightly plotted and wildly atmospheric dark academia fantasy

Agathion College isn’t the kind of school to offer scholarships. Isolated on a remote Scottish moor it houses the problem children of the rich, powerful, and famous, teaching them philosophy, and the value of the mind over the body. And yet, Page Whittaker is here. Invited by the Archon to join Agathion, all she wants…

Read more

Pop punk legends Zebrahead to return to Australia for the first time in seven years

  Zebrahead have been bringing their unique punk fusion of pop-punk and hip-hop to fans for almost thirty years, and today they’ve announced a return Down Under. The SoCal pop punk/rapcore legends will be back our way in October, bringing their energetic live show to venues across the country. It’ll be the first time in…

Read more

Brisbane’s Torizon take us behind the scenes of new single “Bloom”

Meanjin/Brisbane petalcore outfit Torizon have just released their emotionally charged new single “Bloom“, following characters Luna and Sam as they navigate a harrowing miscarriage. Produced and mixed by Kalen Austin, and mastered by Mike Kalajian, Rogue Planet Studios (Bad Omens, Windwaker, Papa Roach), the unfolding narrative is bolstered by razor-sharp riffs, synth flourises, and frontwoman Mish Sharma‘s dynamic vocals. Packed with grief-laden…

Read more

Album Review: Sleep Token return with the otherworldly Even In Arcadia

Masked band Sleep Token are about to drop their latest album, and the hype surrounding the release feels palpable. Four albums in, it’s hard to call them an overnight success, but 2023’s “The Summoning” going viral definitely had a role to play in their huge rise over the past year or so, culminating in a…

Read more

Talk Heavy release new single “Die 4 U”; announce signing to Ninth Life Records

Brisbane/Meanjin emos Talk Heavy are having quite the week. First, they announced their signing with new Aussie label Ninth Life Records. And yesterday they dropped a brand new single – melancholic punk anthem “Die 4 U“. Forming in 2022, Talk Heavy consists of Matt Cochran (vocals/guitar), Patrick Shipp (guitar), Tayla Ellerby (bass) and Beej Vaughn…

Read more