by Bob Keeley
Styx was founded well over 50 years ago and had a string of hits in the 70s. Their sound was marked by rich stacks of vocals, tunes that stuck in our heads, and a sound that had many of the hallmarks of prog while being poppy enough to get their songs on the radio. As with any band that has a long history, they’ve had their share of people leaving and joining the band. They also took a couple of lengthy breaks in the 80s and 90s but have been a fairly consistent touring band again since the late 90s.
The current lineup of Styx still features founder James “JY” Young and early member Tommy Shaw but, since the departure of Dennis De Young in 1999, Lawrence Gowan has held down the keyboard and vocal slot and, although this is a band with multiple lead vocalists, Gowan is often the frontman in concert with his dynamic stage presence. While Styx released three albums in the early 2000s they were just a touring band for more than a decade. Then, in 2017, the release of The Mission got people’s attention. It was a really good album! The follow-up, Crash of the Crown in 2021 was maybe even better and showed that The Mission wasn’t a fluke. It seems that Styx was back with great shows and new music that could stand up next to their classic material.
The new album, Circling from Above, continues in the same tradition as their recent excellent offerings. While it sounds just like a Styx album, there are some really interesting tracks with nods to other classic bands and styles along the way. Case in point: the opening title track, sets the stage for an album about technology and nature but, even though it is less than two minutes in length, it evokes Pink Floyd, a band that has flirted with the same lyrical themes. This melds into “Build and Destroy,” a strong melody featuring classic Styx vocals but, even as it reminds us of the band from 50 years ago, the synth solo feels fresh and new, giving them a wider musical pallet than they would have used in their classic material.
The album features a remarkable breadth of styles as Styx cranks through 13 strong tracks with all lead vocalists getting a chance to shine and the trademark vocal harmonies front and center. “King of Love,” though, is a straight-ahead rocker that shows that there are some serious players in this band with a guitar solo that is a real treat. “Everybody Raise Your Glass” could be a show tune, giving us a sound reminiscent of a music hall from the 1940s but yet, it sounds fresh and fits nicely alongside the rest of the album. This is followed by the Latin influenced “Blue Eyed Raven” which features a great acoustic guitar pattern. Speaking of great acoustic guitar patterns, the rocker “We Lost the Wheel Again” could almost be a lost Who song. The album closes with “Only You Can Decide,” a song that encourages us not to just let technology take over but to be aware of what it does to us as it does things for us.
The overall sense that one gets from listening to the 13 tracks of Circling from Above is that of a band that isn’t just going to finish out their career just playing their greatest hits. This is another solid album that continues to build on the band’s creative resurgence.
Released on July 18th, 2025 on AlphaDog 2T/UMe
1. Circling From Above
2. Build and Destroy
3. Michigan
4. King of Love
5. It’s Clear
6. Forgive
7. Everyone Raise A Glass
8. Blue Eyed Raven
9. She Knows
10. Ease Your Mind
11. The Things That You Said
12. We Lost the Wheel Again
13. Only You Can Decide’
Order here: https://styxworld.com/
James “JY” Young / lead vocals, guitars
Tommy Shaw / lead vocals, guitars
Chuck Panozzo / bass, vocals
Todd Sucherman / drums, percussion
Lawrence Gowan / lead vocals, keyboards
Will Evankovich / Acoustic and electric guitars, vocals
Terry Gowan / bass, vocals
