Author: Peter Podbrežnik
Artist: Styx
Label: Wooden Nickel Records
Release: 1973
Length: 40:07
Rating: 3/5
»The Serpent Is Rising« was the third studio outing from American arena rock legends Styx and their second album in less than a year. In an era when record labels hadn’t yet put any brakes on boundless creativity, that was nothing unusual, but this time the up-and-coming Chicago quintet didn’t exactly make the best investment, as it’s a fairly average effort. Compared to its excellent predecessor »Styx II«, it even marks an artistic step backward in the band’s sonic development. On »The Serpent Is Rising« it’s obvious that in such a short stretch since the previous album they’d run a bit short on artistic inspiration and drive.
Apart from a few bright spots, including the title track, »Young Man« and the first half of »As Bad As It Is«, the remaining compositions are mostly average compared with the bulk of Styx’s material up to that point. Even individual band members have repeatedly called »The Serpents Is Rising« their worst effort, while also criticizing the rather botched production. The latter doesn’t actually sound all that wrong, considering that Styx sounded a bit rawer this time than their followers were used to. Art rock ventures and symphonic pomp take a back seat to ‘saloon’ hard rock and blues, which is the main reason there’s no shortage of dull moments, while they also couldn’t resist a few weird experiments.
The hard-rocking »Witch Wolf« has a basic chord offering and a galloping rhythm, so it’s nothing special at heart. The harmonies, led by Young’s vocals, give it that recognizable, theatrical Styx stamp, while the dynamic guitar lines between the two guitarists are the main reason for the dramatic atmosphere. The much more art-rock-flavored »The Grove of Eglantine« has a rhythm greased with organ passages. DeYoung’s theatrical vocal, helped along by backing harmonies, takes care of the epic mood. The rebellious »Young Man« is a pompous art rocker led by Young’s aggressive singing, and one of the few songs on the album you can call a Styx classic. Red-hot guitar phrases teamed with mighty organ lines and drum fills prove the quintet knew how to ‘hit hard’ when they wanted to.
»As Bad As This« is, in its first part, a dynamic, pleasant ballad with a pastoral acoustic guitar arrangement. After a short pause, the second half unexpectedly morphs into a reggae self-parody called »Plexiglas Toilet«, leaving the listener rightly asking what the hell they were thinking. Picture long-haired rockers in worn-out jeans and straw hats selling bananas on a Caribbean beach while swaying local women join in on the clownish chorus, and you’ll get the real feel of this bizarre, comic mood swing. The album’s standard rises again somewhat with the classic rocker »Winner Take All«, where a spirited guitar riff is adorned with mighty harmonies. A solid composition, but sadly it lacks a convincing ending.
»22 Years« is a saloon blues rocker with a bouncy rhythm, a rustling piano line, a guest saxophone, a hefty guitar riff and a ‘beer-hall’ tune, which adds up to a sleepy vibe. Luckily, there are some excellent vocal harmonies that rescue this relatively uninspired track from sheer mediocrity. »Jonas Psalter« is one of the rare cases where Styx turn to history for lyrical inspiration, telling the story of a notorious Caribbean pirate who was more than obviously modeled on the historical Jack Rackham, a.k.a. Calico Jack. Too bad the interesting lyrics aren’t in tune with the musical side of the coin, which, despite a rustling organ line and epic harmonies, never manages to build a convincing atmosphere.
The epic title track is one of the few on the album that lives up to the usual high Styx standards, with that signature, tense-yet-pompous atmosphere dictated by a hellish guitar riff, a mighty organ line and an aggressive vocal, all watched over by a melodic-dramatic chorus. The latter is adorned with soaring falsettos that nearly match the heights Uriah Heep were reaching in the same period. Sadly, the album’s closing stretch is anything but what you’d expect from Styx. The volcano-tragedy-inspired »Krakatoa« is a bizarrely annoying, paranoid experiment, while His Eminence Cardinal Rode himself would surely be thrilled by »Hallelujah Chorus«, with its church choir and sacred organ, since it features the central arrangement from Handel’s »Messiah«. DeYoung’s Catholic devoutness at times truly overstepped the bounds of good taste, which later sparked no small number of conflicts within the band.
»The Serpent Is Rising« was an artistic step backward from Styx’s usual high standards and, despite a few bright spots, is quite clearly the least inspired album of their entire career. Needless to say, it also flopped commercially. Luckily, the boys from Chicago picked themselves up quickly, found the right path and, with their very next studio album, left the sea of mediocrity behind for good.
Lineup
John Curulewski – guitar, vocals, 12-string guitar, Moog synthesizer
Dennis DeYoung – Hammond organ, piano, vocals, Moog synthesizer, church organ
Chuck Panozzo – bass guitar, backing vocals
John Panozzo – drums, backing vocals, percussion
James Young – guitar, vocals
GUEST MUSICIAN
Bill Traut – saxophone on “22 Years”
Production
Styx and Barry Mraz
Track List
- Witch Wolf
- The Grove of Eglantine
- Young Man
- As Bad as This
- Winner Take All
- 22 Years
- Jonas Psalter
- The Serpent Is Rising
- Krakatoa
- Hallelujah Chorus
