Starts off fun, but lacks dynamics to keep my attention throughout the album. They establish their thing early and run it into the ground over the next few songs until, by the halfway point of the album, you can whistle along with the songs the first time you hear them because they're predictable now. There is a shift to more instrumental, soundtrack pieces at the end of the album which brings my attention back and is able to hold it again.
Could've sworn I reviewed this already...
It's modern Styx. I think it falls flat compared to most of their other stuff, but some of it still hits. Neat to see Evankovich added to the band officially, I guess.
Adding this to the list solely because of the new song Music Time and because this is the best version of Miss America
A lot of the songs here sound pretty same-y and don't distinguish themselves. Kind of a bland follow up to the banger that was The Mission.
The mission to Mars is the enemies we made of band mates on the way.
(This album bops. What a pleasant surprise)
2000's ass music
Sounds more like they're trying to be what's popular instead of just trying to be Styx, but the songs where they do try to sound like themselves kinda bop. Maybe it's a product of all the member changes with different creative visions and they just hadn't found a good mesh yet, idk...
Bold choice to make it the longest album yet. Bold choice to make another concept album. Not all bold choices pay off. A step up from the blandness of Edge, and at least most of the songs here sound like the band wanted to do something with them.
Bonus points for having a song title that pretty much sums up my thoughts on Styx.
The DDY songs sound like the generic idea of a DDY song and the Burtnik songs sound like a mix of a Shaw song and a generic 90's song. That's not always bad, but it sure doesn't make the album stand out, at least not in a good way.
Giving Grand Illusion a run for it's money for the title of Best Styx Album. This album is everything Kilroy wishes it could be.
Another song after the natural ending point for the album, State Street Sadie works better than Aku-Aku for me. It feels like the show really ended with A.D. 1958 and you're outside the Paradise Theatre while carnival music plays in the distance.
Some solid entries with Blue Collar Man and Renegade far outshining everything else.
Does Aku-Aku really need to be here? Is that really a better ender than just Pieces of Eight?
Styx has Prelude-12 as a separate song than Suite Madame Blue. Styx combines Claire de Lune as an intro to Ballerina on the next album. They devolve back to having The Message be a separate song from Lords of the Ring even though it doesn't work enough as a little ambient song of its own and really only makes ... read more
I often overlook this album when thinking of Styx records, but this is a solid entry in the catalogue
Ok, I said Crystal Ball had the tightest run on a Styx album but song for song this blows Crystal Ball out of the water. (I still like Crystal Ball more, but goodness this bops)
I could do without DeYoung singing about wanting to bang a 17 year old, but the rest of the album is probably the tightest run on a Styx album. Bops all the way through. Put Me On is a near perfect album opener and the back-and-forth 'tween the guitars on Clair de Lune/Ballerina rocks as a closer. Shaw knocks it out of the park on his first foray with the band!
Tangent: Shaw brought Crystal Ball from his previous band, Harvest, and the old version has a lost verse.
Wow, I remembered this being better, but there's some real low points here. Might be their worst album yet.
Man of Miracles (the song) is the spiritual successor to Witch Wolf
This seems like the right rating for an album with a hidden track about blowing up a port-a-potty.
I probably listen to songs off this album more regularly than the first album, but still have to say I like the first more.
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Recent Review Comments
On NotFIamemememe's review of Styx - The Serpent Is Rising
"Well, it really isn't much of the same band. Plexiglass Toilet is largely made by John Curulewski and the Panozzos at a time when DeYoung was pretty checked out of the band. Man in the Wilderness was a Shaw song, who wasn't in the band yet."
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