Author: Peter Podbrežnik
Artist: Styx
Label: Universal Music Group
Release: 2017
Duration: 42:08
Rating: 4.5/5
American prog/arena rock heroes Styx have finally returned with a new studio album, »The Mission«, much to the delight of their loyal fans. It once and for all busts the myth that they simply can’t pull off a record that hits the lofty artistic standards of their golden era (the second half of the seventies and the start of the eighties) without original keyboardist/vocalist Dennis DeYoung. The previous two studio albums, »Cyclorama« (2003) and the covers record »Big Bang Theory« (2005), left plenty of fans cold, because on most of the material the band no longer sounded much like the classic Styx that live on in our fondest memories. It also seemed like the two bosses of the current Styx lineup, guitarist/vocalist Tommy Shaw and his guitar/vocal partner James Young, had decided it was better not to go back into the studio for at least another decade and to focus on playing live instead. Who knows, maybe it’s exactly this long absence from the studio that made »The Mission« turn out so good, blowing past even the wildest expectations of the band’s most devoted fans.
Shaw, Young, their longtime partner in crime on bass Chuck Panozzo, who this time appears only on »Hundred Million Miles from Home« (Chuck has been battling HIV for years, which keeps him from being more active in the band), keyboardist/vocalist Lawrence Gowan, drummer Todd Sucherman and bassist Ricky Phillips have finally figured out, while making »The Mission«, how to get close to the greatness of Styx at their best. Most of the material, with its traditional trading-off of dramatic lead vocals, pompous symphonic arrangements, epic harmonies and heavy rock guitar riffs, really does recall the golden creative era of this legendary band, while Gowan fills in for DeYoung’s vocals with flying colors. Even the sound of the synths and some of the arrangements have a thoroughly retro seventies flavor, helped along by the excellent production from Will Evankovich, who also helped Shaw build the interesting concept.
»The Mission« is, after all, the first Styx concept album since the cult classic »Kilroy Was Here« (1983), and it likewise tells a sci-fi story, though one that comes off far more realistic than Kilroy’s rather cheesy shenanigans with Japanese robots. The lyrics on »The Mission« revolve around humanity’s first mission to the red planet, aka Mars, in 2033, something people are talking about again these days, now that the Chinese have in many ways overtaken the arrogant, war-obsessed Americans on innovative space projects. Stylistically, »The Mission« is that wildly entertaining blend of prog rock, hard rock and arena rock that brought Styx worldwide fame in the second half of the seventies, and it’s a delightful discovery you make already while listening to the opening tracks.
»Overture« is a short but effective, mostly instrumental opener in authentic prog rock fashion, the kind we haven’t been used to hearing from Styx for a long time. The spirited »Gone Gone Gone«, released as the lead single from the album, clearly shows how well Gowan fills in for DeYoung’s vocals. It’s a pompous creation with plenty of ballsy guitar riffs and terrific vocal harmonies in the best Styx tradition. »Hundred Million Miles From Home«, with Shaw behind the mic and his traditionally more subtle vocal approach, has a slight funk flavor and a big harmony chorus with hand claps. Had it come out in the late seventies or early eighties, it would probably have had hit potential.
Soaked in bluesy guitar passages, »Trouble at the Big Show« is the only track on »The Mission« with a traditionally gloomy-sounding Young on lead vocals. The melodic chorus is thoroughly retro here too and strongly recalls certain songs from the golden years. The heart-stopping »Locomotive«, with Shaw in the lead vocal role, can right away be counted among the most beautiful and most complex Styx ballads of all time, with mini Moog sounds and melancholic guitar passages deepening the nostalgic atmosphere even further. »Radio Silence«, also packed with plenty of pompous moments and an epic harmony chorus, sounds like a forgotten track from the period between 1975 and 1983, which means we’re dealing with yet š another full-blooded Styx classic. The astonishingly nostalgic and dramatic »The Greater Good«, where Shaw and Gowan trade lead vocals in ideal fashion, will likewise take plenty of people back to the ‘good old days’, and more than a few will remember why some media dubbed Styx the American answer to Queen.
»Time May Bend« is a classic, slightly short arena rocker with Gowan at the mic, while »Ten Thousand Ways« is another chance to show off those ethereal harmonies. With the symphonic rock epic »Red Storm«, whose dramatic symphonic arrangements and stormy guitar passages you can’t praise enough, Styx successfully remind us why, alongside Kansas, they were for a brief spell, before they sailed into more commercial waters, the most respected American prog rock band around. »Khedive« features turbulent baroque piano arrangements, while the operatic vocal harmonies and epic guitar soloing immediately bring Queen parallels to mind. »The Outpost« is a melodic arena rocker with prominent retro synth lines, a scorching guitar riff and a terrific harmony chorus that would undoubtedly have been a huge hit in some other era. You can already put it right up there with all the Styx evergreens. »Mission to Mars« is a wonderfully fitting finale to the album, and in structure and atmosphere it’s a bit reminiscent of the classic »Come Sail Away« Interestingly, it was the main guitar riff of this very composition that inspired Shaw to decide the time was right for a new Styx album.
The concept-album treat »The Mission« is a major comeback for one of the best and most successful American rock bands of all time, and probably one even their most optimistic fans didn’t see coming. These melodic rock/prog rock heroes have undoubtedly delivered one of the bigger studio surprises of 2017, and it’s doing very well commercially too. No wonder even DeYoung, who hasn’t been having the best time as a solo artist lately, recently voiced a wish to revive the classic Styx lineup, though he’ll more than likely run into deaf ears. With the current lineup on »The Mission«, Styx have more than proven that they don’t need the services of their moody former bandmate one bit to bring the old magic back to life in the studio.
Lineup
Tommy Shaw – guitar, vocals
James Young – guitar, vocals
Chuck Panozzo – bass guitar on “Hundred Million Miles From Home”
Lawrence Gowan – keyboards, vocals
Todd Sucherman – drums, backing vocals
Ricky Phillips – bass guitar, backing vocals
Production
Will Evankovich
Track list
1. Overture (1:23)
2. Gone Gone Gone (2:07)
3. Hundred Million Miles From Home (3:39)
4. Trouble At The Big Show (2:30)
5. Locomotive (5:03)
6. Radio Silence (4:17)
7. The Greater Good (4:10)
8. Time May Bend (2:30)
9. Ten Thousand Ways (1:22)
10. Red Storm (6:04)
11. All Systems Stable (0:17)
12. Khedive (2:04)
13. The Outpost (3:51)
14. Mission To Mars (2:43)
