Inside The Circle is the first album by lifelong friends Sky Lions who are the duo of Outer Stace and Radio Sloan who over the years have performed with or as a part of Courtney Love's band, Peaches band, Le Tigre and The Need, Time Bitch and Photona among others. I'll apologize for any mansplaining in this review of this Portland based duo, it's unintentional.
The album opens with a lone synth pulsating before Outer Stace's vocals come in to bring No One Knows to life as a noir synth pop melodrama.
Inside The Circle is slow dark gothic builder that keeps threatening to explode, as the pitch-black take of despair unfolds, opening up the pain at the heart of everything.
Werewolves are haunting every moment on the night, slowly stalking them, drawing them into the darkest reaches beneath that toxic sky as everything slides further into the abyss, the synths and guitars noting the slow decay, so the werewolves are the least of your worries in this horrific landscape.
1692 Moon is a title I assume referring to the Salem Witch trials, that horrifically stupid episode of men being scared of Women using natural herbs and flowers to heal diseases, as if they would rather see people suffering than cure them, this has the feel of a eulogy for the women so cruelly tortured. Why are those men so afraid of being with women who are obviously more intelligent than they are.
Click Here To Visit Hell is slow dark intro music as you decide to take that journey following in Dante's footsteps as you descend into the very bowels where all of your worst fears become reality.
Hello Firefly is a slow ambient dreamscape. Psychic Gifts has what sound like kettle drums marking the beat that Outer Stace sings over in slow careful phrases, trying not to damage the fragile state they find themselves in.
Spirits has on old time blues tale of despair, as the Spirits infiltrate every part of her life, she battles to overcome them.
The album closes with the short but deeply moving Transcendence that contains advice on how to make sure the next generation is better than we've been, more accepting and at ease with themselves.
Find Out More at https://skylionsmusic.bandcamp.com/album/inside-the-circle https://www.instagram.com/skylions_music/
