THE MISSION

Styx on a mission. What a nice surprise we got here.Styx making a concept album about the first manned mission to Mars. If you were not a fan of Styx before,I am sure this won't change your mind.But if like me, you were along for the ride in the 70ies,this is a fantastic album.For me the Equinox-Pieces of 8 were fantastic.(Also love the Wooden Nickel era.). There is only one pumping rocker like Miss America and Queen of Spades,the 2 minute scorcher Gone Gone Gone and no sappy ballads like Babe and such.Everything in between here and very well produced and sounding excellent. Harmonies galore,lots of guitars ,heavy drumming and great keys.The sound of Styx is alive and well.I am not going to do song for song here,there is always you-tube for sampling. I really hope they will play this whole album on tour.It's absolutely worth it. Welcome back boys.

It's been around 40 year since hey-days of Styx. After such period the band returned with a new conceptual album The Mission. I had no big expectations, so it came as the biggest surprise this year so far. It turned out for me that this might, without any exaggeration, be one of their best records. The best since their 1978's Pieces of Eight (which I rank highest in their catalogue).

Tommy Shaw in his mid-sixties sounds better than ever, so youthful, and so does basically the whole band. It's also a courtesy of a drummer Todd Sucherman, who is really exceptional here - dynamic, technical, creative, restrained when needed - fitting really perfectly. Compared to previous hit-and-miss "Cyclorama", Lawrence Gowan sounds much more confident and prominent. His contribution is equally important to Tommy Shaw's, creating a perfect leading tandem with him, like in old times with Denis DeYoung. Gowan's voice reminds strongly DeYoung, but still sounds somewhat distinctive, powerful in his own way. His synth parts are varied, innovative and produced with respect to original Styx sound. James Young holds up well with the leading duo still complementing them in his rough way as he did in 70s.

Sound and instrumentation are extremely well done and tight, production is excellent. Compositions are classic Styx at their best with soaring multi-layered harmonies and memorable melodic ideas; proving that pure AOR is not dead and that the band with such long career can come up with an excellent work of art. Album sometimes rocks, sometimes makes you feel relaxed, reflective. It has an atmosphere and tension. No dull moments and very little filler moments. Pop side may be a little "over-the-top" on few places, but without them it wouldn't be a Styx record, would be? Highlights for me include Locomotive with early 70s (America, Crosby/Stills/Nash/Young?) inspired melodies, semi-epic Red Storm, beautiful piano filigree Khedive and infectious anthem The Outpost captivating with heavenly harmonies and wonderful twists. By the last, title track, I feel a big dose of nostalgia when this little musical journey comes to its end. The Mission I never expected to undertake has been accomplished.

Back in the day I had an automatic reaction when asked: "I'm not really into Styx". What a difference two generations make! This stuff is good, REALLY GOOD. After hearing users on Progarchives go back and forth...Styx is prog...no it's not...but wait, what about Dennis deYoung's new album? This is a band that I never used to think of as prog, but The Mission IS prog! It's is also a concept album, about MARS. As for songs, where should I start...Locomotive, Radio Silence, The Greater Good, Red Storm, The Outpost...heck it's all pretty good. If you look on Amazon, some folks think it's on a par with Close to the Edge, or a Pink Floyd album, or even one of the old Kansas albums (gotta mention Kansas when the subject is American bands from the 1970s). Those are five star albums and this is a solid four-star album.

Styx go full-on prog with their sixteenth studio album 'The Mission' - an epic and spacey concept album about a trip to Mars that takes place in the year 2033. This album sees the band with the following lineup: Tommy Shaw, James Young, Lawrence Gowan, Todd Sucherman, Ricky Phillips, and Chuck Panozzo appearing on just one track. Comprised of fourteen tracks, 'The Mission' is quite possibly the best episode in the band's long and fruitful career; Keeping things 'short and sweet', this 42-minnute epic sci-fi ride sees the band produce tremendously good songs that flow seamlessly into one another, making up for a pretty impressive, memorable, and beautifully produced concept album - and certainly one of the stronger concept albums of this decade.

The story is captivating, the music is simultaneously accessible and astonishingly good, as 'The Mission' sees the band's principal musical aspects collide for the birth of what could safely be proclaimed their best work - their prog rock roots and their masterful ability to write very good songs that are memorable to the core. Just one listen would be enough for the listener to notice how well-composed and detailed tracks like 'Locomotive', 'The Greater Good', 'Red Storm' and 'The Outpost' are, and how each single element of this record makes sense and contributes to the overall blissful coherence of this journey to the red planet.

A really pleasant surprise - this is precisely what 'The Mission' is; and also, an exclamation mark that a band is never too old to create its masterwork. And I am entirely sincere in these words, as I have not heard such an enjoyable Styx album from start to finish, such a tremendously good collection of songs, with such attention to detail and sound. This is well-backed up by the fact that the band recorded this album between 2015 and 2017, obviously taking their time and justifying each second spent in the studio, giving the world a really impressive modern progressive rock album.

Review # 113

Starting this, I have to say that I was never a fan of Styx. I have a couple of their old albums in my collection, I listened to a few more, but they were never my cup of tea. Yes, they have some very good songs here and there, but that was it for me. So, because of the thigs I mentioned, I discovered The Mission rather late. To be honest, I was very surprised by its quality and the overall songwritting. (At the time I am writting this, their new album Crash of the Crown has been released, which is also very good). The Mission is a concept album with an interesting main theme, and lots of good songs included in it. I could not believe my ears when I was listening to it for the first 1-2 times. Wait, what? This is STYX?? How's that possible? Then I checked PA, and I found out that The Mission has the highest average rating of all their albums! So, I'm not the only one I guess...

At this point I should make clear that it is not a masterpiece; don't get me wrong. Because lately I see the word "masterpiece" been used a lot, and that's not right in my opinion. but it is a wonderful, highly enjoyable album, which is going to be appreciated not only by the fans of Styx, but from many more people; like me for example.

Give it a try, it's a really good one! My Rating: 4.0 stars

Today, I'll be reviewing the second most recent release from Styx, 2017's "The Mission." If you jumped off Styx's ship after "Kilroy Was Here," (or even earlier) it may be time to come back aboard. Dennis DeYoung is long gone, and while he was great in the earlier days of the band, his Broadway style sensibilities took the band in directions that many fans were not into. In his place is the fabulously talented Lawrence Gowan on vocals & keyboards. Guitarists/vocalists Tommy Shaw and James Young are the classic era members that remain full time. Chuck Panozzo stays involved in a minimal way to satisfy requirements of a legal settlement. The primary bassist is now Ricky Phillips (ex-Babys and Bad English), while drummer extraordinaire Todd Sucherman has held down the drum throne since the passing of John Panozzo in the mid 90s. This line up has been stable for the better part of two decades. The 2003 album "Cyclorama" was quite good, with the only difference in line-up being Glenn Burtnick on bass instead of Ricky Phillips. Other than an album of cover songs in 2005, this is the first release from the band since then. The band followed this album up with 2021's "Crash of the Crown," which I also intend to review.

"The Mission" is a concept album written primarily by Tommy Shaw and album producer Will Evankovich with a few contributions from other band members. The story revolves around the first manned mission to Mars in the year 2033. I have heard several of the tracks, but this is my first start to finish listen. There are 14 relatively short tracks, with the longest at just under 6 minutes. Let's dig in!

Track 1 - Overture

This begins with the band playing a bit of a fanfare in unison with Sucherman playing fantastic drum fills in between. The beat kicks in at around 20 seconds and Gowan plays a Wakeman style keyboard pattern with the band rocking out underneath. The beat changes at around 45 seconds and the band plays a new tune that leads back into the intro fanfare. Then at just before 1-minute, there is a voice processed through a vocoder singing something like "going out to the universe, for the future of mother earth?" followed by a big riff then sound effects to link to the next track?

Track 2 - Gone Gone Gone

This kicks off with a big classic rock style guitar riff, somewhat similar to "Roller," from April Wine. It sounds more like classic Kansas though when the organ joins the guitars for a descending, lightning-fast run. They lock into a fast shuffle beat before only the bass & drums keep going and the vocals begin with Gowan singing lead here. The band kicks in and sings in tight harmonies for the chorus. The opening riff returns following that. Then there is another verse with accents between phrases, and another chorus. A guitar solo follows. Gowan has a synth countermelody on the choruses. Gowan & Shaw trade vocals on "Light it up, let's get this show?Light it up let's get this show on the road!" The first 2 tracks would constitute a great live opener 1-2 punch! (I would imagine that they did that on the related tour, but don't know for sure.) Lots of energy here!

Track 3 - Hundred Million Miles from Home

(BTW I looked up the average distance from Earth to Mars and it checks out?lol)

This one has a mid-tempo, funky groove. This is the one track on the album where Chuck Panozzo is credited with playing bass. Tommy Shaw is the lead singer on this one. Great harmonies on the choruses again. This one is very catchy. . The guitar solo uses a talk box effect (around 2:30), singing the chorus. A sustained chord at the end leads us to the next track. Great song!

Track 4 - Trouble at the Big Show

This begins with a cool riff, also funky, but different than the previous one. JY sings in his signature baritone, half spoken style., Fantastic harmonies again on the chorus. The song fades out during a short guitar solo while JY ad libs vocally. Good song, wish it was longer.

Track 5 - Locomotive

Sustained keyboard sounds emerge from the fade out of the previous track. A 12-string acoustic gets strummed, and Tommy Shaw starts singing. This one sounds slower and more introspective than the previous tracks. It's giving Bowie "Space Oddity" vibes, not in melody, but in the similar emotion. At 1:38 they go into a syncopated groove. Nice bass fills on this one. The bridge has an appropriately spacy vibe. It sounds like vintage analog synths. The groove comes back for the guitar solo. Another verse follows the solo. Echoing voices and then what sounds like radio communications close out the track. This one was pretty proggish.

Track 6 - Radio Silence

A few electronic beeps start this off, followed by the band playing a melody that reminds me of "Man in the Wilderness" from their 1977 classic album, "The Grand Illusion." Then Shaw begins singing, with just a guitar harmonics riff behind him. 12-string arpeggios fill in between a couple of phrases. In the last couple of phrases of the verse, the 12-string returns initially, then electric guitars and the rhythm section crescendo to the chorus. Great harmonies again on this slower tempo chorus. The next verse has more instrumentation below the vocals. Another chorus follows. A heavy guitar riff takes over just before the 3-minute mark. A bridge follows with some odd meters turning the beat around. A melodic guitar solo/duet follows before another chorus. The song ends a cappella with Tommy singing "And only me," at the end. Great song!

Track 7 - The Greater Good

This one starts as a piano ballad with Gowan singing. The rest of the band joins in on the chorus. Tommy Shaw takes over vocals on the next verse, with full band accompaniment. Gowan and him take turns on the next sections. A guitar solo kicks in at around 2:40. Another chorus with harmonies and the 2 singers alternating closes out the song. A terrific ballad.

Track 8 - Time May Bend

Ominous synth sounds fade into a guitar riff that is very prog. A pulsing synth accompanies the first verse, sung by Gowan. A 7-4 meter kicks in with the rest of the band joining instrumentally on the next verse and Shaw harmonizing with Gowan. The chorus kicks in strong with Gowan singing "Calling out through the universe," in a powerful voice, in a call and response with the harmonies that follow it. We are now in 6-8. Then the meter changes again for the ensuing lead break, before changing back to 6-8 for another chorus. There is a lot happening in this roughly 2-and-a-half- minute song! Excellent track.

Track 9 - Ten Thousand Ways

This one is even shorter at 1:27. It begins with a piano melody, joined by acoustic guitar and spacy sound effects. Haunting harmonies join in singing "Ten Thousand ways to be wrong?" a few times before the sound effects take over entirely.

Track 10 - Red Storm

The sound effects and radio transmissions carry on until a 12-string acoustic riff takes over. This is the longest track at close to 6 minutes in length. The meter is in 5-8 here, I believe. The band joins in and accents that meter even more. A melodic guitar joins with a tune on the top, before Shaw starts singing. The chorus is in an easy feeling 6-8, before the 5-8 returns afterward. This has a great 70s style prog vibe. Great drumming from Sucherman at 3 minutes. Unusual electronic sounds take the lead here, then after a MONSTER drum fill from Sucherman we have a new riff. Now we are in 7-8, I think. At around 4 minutes we are back in 6-8 with a beautiful vocal section. There is a synth solo as the song fades out to a false ending. This is probably my favorite track so far. Sorrowful piano joins after the false ending. This track is 100% pure prog!

Track 11 - All Systems Stable

This one is only 18 seconds long. It is just some spacy sound effects and a voice saying, "All Systems stable, stand by."

Track 12 - Khedive

This begins with a fantastic classical style piano part. Mr. Gowan's keyboard abilities are becoming more impressive to me as this album unfolds. Some synth string sounds join in as he plays. The playing is Wakeman-level good. A high falsetto voice joins just before one minute in, singing "onward soldiers." It is then harmonized on the repeat. After that, Brian May-style guitar harmonies come in. The piano goes solo again briefly, then harmony vocals saying the title of the song come in. The track ends with a few final piano chords. An impressive 2 minutes and 4 seconds of music.

Track 13 - The Outpost

This track opens with low sustained synth sound and what sounds like a drumbeat from a little Casio keyboard. Gowan enters next with vocals. Shaw joins on harmonies for a phrase, before the full band harmonizes at around 45 seconds in for a pre-chorus. The heavy guitars and rhythm section kick in for the chorus, and the full harmonies continue. The song tones back down similar to the opening verse following the chorus. However, the beat starts becoming more insistent and pulsating. Another pre-chorus and chorus follow. The bridge reminds me a bit of the Styx classic "Suite Madame Blue" in the way the background vocals are layered very much like the "America, America, etc," section of that song. Sucherman's drumming is wonderful. After that, there is a section that could have been pulled out of a Who song (a bit like "The Real Me") around 2:35. The pre-chorus & chorus return after that. They close with a big finish. Great classic-Styx.

Track 14 - Mission to Mars

A piano part fades in along with marching style drums. By around 30 seconds, a rollicking 6-8 beat takes over. The band sings the chorus in tight harmonies. At 1:14, the beat stops, and some sustained chords and a strumming acoustic guitar accompany Shaw's vocals. The harmonies return on the second part of this section. A swelling organ chord brings the beat and chorus back in. On the final vocal phrase, most of the band drops out, instrumentally, and the song fades with a bit of synth.

OVERALL IMPRESSIONS:

WOW! I LOVE this album! I thought 2003's "Cyclorama," was wonderful, but it has a few oddities for tracks on it. I wish it hadn't taken 14 years between true studio albums, but Styx really delivered on this one. My only complaint is that I wish some of the songs were longer. GREAT ALBUM! I'll give it 4.5 out of 5 stars.

Clicked 5, even though it's a 4.5, because 4 is too low,