Styx Deliver Their New Masterpiece 'Circling From Above'
(UMe) The highly anticipated 18th studio album by legendary multi-Platinum rockers Styx, Circling From Above, is finally available today (July 18) via the band's label, Alpha Dog 2T/UMe on all streaming and digital outlets more">here. CD and vinyl copies have already been available on the band's official website, and CDs have been available at every stop of this summer's "Brotherhood of Rock" tour with The Kevin Cronin Band and special guest Don Felder (a former lead guitarist of the Eagles) since its launch May 28 in Greenville, SC.
Spanning 13 tracks, Circling From Above navigates the complexities of the human experience through the intersecting lenses of technology and nature. It delivers a 41-minute, end-to-end listening experience that is both thought-provoking and exhilarating, and features contributions from all seven members of the band, including founding guitarist/vocalist James "JY" Young (affectionately known as "The Godfather of Styx"), guitarist/vocalist Tommy Shaw, original bassist Chuck Panozzo, longtime drummer Todd Sucherman, keyboardist/vocalist Lawrence Gowan, guitarist/vocalist Will Evankovich and bassist Terry Gowan.
Circling From Above marks the third album in a row for new Styx music to be labeled as a "masterpiece" (by Antimusic.com), following up on their 2021 Crash Of The Crown and 2017's The Mission (which was their first in 14 years at the time). VintageRock.com proclaimed, "Circling From Above is a solid, full-circle effort that emphasizes how the band has no interest in resting on its laurels or cashing in only on its hits." TheRockPit.net declared, "Circling From Above is STYX at their best: nostalgic yet forward-looking, polished yet soulful. It's an album that proves this veteran band still has plenty of gas in the tank. Pop it in, crank it up, and let Styx take you on a journey that's out of this world."
"That little melody, I kept singing 'Build and Destroy,'" explains singer/keyboardist Lawrence Gowan, who takes the lead vocal. "Even though we don't sing over that part, I kept thinking that would be a good title. It's thematic. The melody feels like a little 'Star Trek' or 'Twilight Zone' thing - just a small tag that reinforces the title."
Shaw and Evankovich jumped in to flesh out the verses and finalize the lyrics, and the song came together in just a day and a half. "We knew it was strong," Gowan says. "Even though it was the second-to-last song we finished, it felt like a quick way into the album's overall theme."
Circling From Above is a dynamic collection that reflects the full emotional and stylistic range of the Styx canon. It's muscular yet introspective, theatrical in moments and layered in sincerity at others - balancing progressive leanings with deeper, thought-provoking messages.
"When you start writing an album, there's generally something that piques your imagination, and all of a sudden, you're a storyteller starting with the seed of a story," says Shaw. "A good song is like a straight road - it'll get you to the next place."
The album was produced by Evankovich, who also helmed the band's previous two records before becoming an official member in 2022. All 13 songs were penned in various combinations by the band's songwriting triumvirate of Shaw, Evankovich and Lawrence Gowan. Referencing the trio's creative spark, Lawrence Gowan says it's not a simple case of majority rules but rather a true collaborative endeavor.
"I've noticed over the last three records, there's a real effort to make sure everyone's got a smile on their face at the end of it," he says. "There's creative friction, but everybody gets a go around the table, and we all get a swing at the tree. And that's really, really good."
"It's a strange three-way democracy for sure," Evankovich says. "We all know that the institution of Styx is the most important thing."
STYX has remained a touring juggernaut for the past 25 years and they're not stopping anytime soon. Earlier this year, STYX and Kevin Cronin, the iconic voice and writer behind REO Speedwagon's greatest hits, wrapped up hugely successful sold-out residencies at The Venetian Theatre. For the first time in their 50-plus-year career in Las Vegas, NV, STYX performed 1977's The Grand Illusion in its entirety, while REO Speedwagon performed 1980's Hi Infidelity in its entirety. Due to the overwhelming response from both residencies, Styx and The Kevin Cronin Band have been bringing these special album shows for the first time, plus their hits, to the amphitheaters and arenas as part of the "Brotherhood of Rock" tour.
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