To introduce Styx as a band would mean to carry owls to Athens. Only this much: Styx is Styx and remains Styx even after almost fifty years. now with Crash Of The Crown. And that's good. No trace of an old men band.
No trace of an old man band.
You first have to get that right, almost half a century after the first Styx album in 1972, the Chicago-based band presents a 15-song album that is not a knock-off of the old, good times of rock, but a rock event of the present time in a class of its own, without denying the past. Well done guys.
Styx emphatically succeeds in presenting Crash of The Crown, a concentrate of their career that recreates prog rock in all its glory with elements of rock opera and a suggestive sound concept as an updated Styx sound. Speaking of renewing a proven concept: In the title track, Styx unites three lead singers for the first time in the band's long career. Young opens the vocal tour in the title track, which is rocking and thrillingly inspired along with a crisp piano breakdown. Shaw follows, ceding to Gowan, and all three lead singers together contribute decisively to the updated Styx sound with high recognition value.
Already recorded in the studio in 2019, Crash Of The Crown anticipates quite a bit of Corona future with the opening song ""Fight For Our Lives" in the style of rock ballads of the 70s: "We will not give in, the game is our to win“. The song "A Monster" also fits to this, which describes the attitude towards life in 2020/21 quite accurately in serious mood. Much more light-footed and optimistic is "Reveries", a song that leads into a passionate guitar solo. "Hold Back the Darkness" depicts in a pensive tone a young person leaving his parents' home for the first time to find freedom elsewhere in the world. Much more light-footed and optimistic is "Reveries", a song that leads into a passionate guitar solo. "Hold Back the Darkness" depicts in a pensive tone a young person leaving his parents' home for the first time to find freedom elsewhere. "Save Us From Ourselves" gives another perspective on our virus-ridden yet protested times: "One nation, indivisible, heads in the sand 'cause we weren't invisible/ Same prayers, we could all use a miracle now, to save us from ourselves." The darkness of this song is followed by "Our Wonderful Lives," a song meant to make us more optimistic.
"Common Ground" is followed by "Sound the Alarm" with its urgent advice to "Take shelter with the ones you love/ Maybe someday we can rise above and all be safe from harm." And the song "Wear a Damn Mask" prophetically anticipating the most obvious concomitant of our Corona times already in 2019. "Long Live the King" may hopefully be understood as a swan song to the unspeakable last president of the United States and not as an anthem of his supporters hoping on his return. After more songs well worth listening to, the album finally closes with "Stream," optimistically evoking a better future for us all: "Please don't wake me from this sweet dream, floating on a stream/ Sunshine beaming down on my face, staring into space."
The new Styx album is an exceedingly successful album by a band that has not only survived decades of its existence with an updated sound, but has mastered it in a unique way As already said: Styx is Styx and remains Styx even with Crash Of The Crown. And that's a good thing.
Styx