The Mission (Styx album)

Last updated
The Mission
Styx The Mission album cover (2017).jpg
Studio album by
Styx
ReleasedJune 16, 2017 (2017-06-16)
Recorded2015–2017
StudioBlackbird Studios, The Shop, 6 Studio Amontillado, Nashville, Tennessee
Genre Progressive rock
Length42:00
Label UMe
Producer Will Evankovich
Styx chronology
Big Bang Theory
(2005)		The Mission
(2017)		 Crash of the Crown
(2021)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [1]
TeamRockStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [2]

The Mission is the sixteenth studio album by American rock band Styx, released on June 16, 2017, through UMe. [3] It is the band's first studio album since 2005's Big Bang Theory and their first release of original material since 2003's Cyclorama. The album reached #45 on the Billboard 200, propelled by pre-sales prior to its official release date, but fell off the chart after 2 weeks. In an era with limited album sales, total U.S. Sales were approximately 15,000 copies, a far cry from the band's triple platinum past. Yet, the album did briefly reach the Top 100 in four other countries. The concept album tells the story of a mission to the planet Mars in the year 2033. [3] The album's story was written by Tommy Shaw and Will Evankovich. Evankovich played a significant role, serving as producer and co-writing all but one of the full length tracks.

Contents

The album was conceived in 2015 when Tommy Shaw composed the guitar riff that became the record's closing track, "Mission to Mars." The first lines Shaw wrote were "Now we can say it / This is the day / We'll be on our way / On our mission to Mars." The story was then formed around this idea.

Styx announced the album in conjunction with the release of the lead single "Gone Gone Gone," while "Radio Silence" and "Hundred Million Miles from Home" were later made available prior to the album's release. The LP was expanded in 2018 and re-released in 5.1 surround sound (both DTS Master Audio and Dolby TrueHD) on a blu-ray disc with visualizations for each song as well as a various music videos from the album and a "Making of the Mission" documentary.

Reception

The album was well received by AllMusic's Stephen Erlewine, awarding the release four out of five stars and considered it a return to form for the band. In his qualitative review, he emphasised the strength of the material harkening back to the band's late 70s material and Paradise Theatre album, despite not having Dennis DeYoung as the band's frontman.

Track listing

All tracks are written by Tommy Shaw, with additional contributors noted

No.TitleWriter(s)Lead vocal(s)Length
1."Overture" Instrumental1:23
2."Gone Gone Gone"
Gowan2:07
3."Hundred Million Miles from Home"EvankovichShaw3:39
4."Trouble at the Big Show"
  • Evankovich
  • Young
Young2:30
5."Locomotive"EvankovichShaw5:03
6."Radio Silence"
Shaw4:17
7."The Greater Good"
  • Evankovich
  • Gowan
  • Shaw
  • Gowan
4:10
8."Time May Bend"EvankovichGowan2:30
9."Ten Thousand Ways"GowanGroup1:22
10."Red Storm"EvankovichShaw6:04
11."All Systems Stable"
Shaw0:17
12."Khedive"GowanGroup2:04
13."The Outpost"
  • Evankovich
  • Gowan
Gowan3:51
14."Mission to Mars" Shaw2:43
Total length:42:00

Personnel

Styx

Additional personnel
Production

Charts

Chart (2017)Peak
position
Canadian Albums (Billboard) [4] 56
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) [5] 49
Scottish Albums (OCC) [6] 98
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade) [7] 34
UK Rock & Metal Albums (OCC) [8] 10
US Billboard 200 [9] 45
US Top Rock Albums (Billboard) [10] 9
US Top Tastemaker Albums (Billboard) [11] 22

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Styx (band)</span> American rock band

Styx is an American rock band formed in Chicago, Illinois, in 1972. They are known for blending melodic hard rock guitar with acoustic guitar, synthesizers mixed with acoustic piano, upbeat tracks with power ballads, and incorporating elements of international musical theatre. The band established themselves with a progressive rock sound during the 1970s, and began to incorporate pop rock and soft rock elements in the 1980s.

<i>Cyclorama</i> (album) 2003 studio album by Styx

Cyclorama is the fourteenth studio album by Styx, released in 2003. This was the first studio album with Lawrence Gowan, following the departure of group co-founder Dennis DeYoung in 1999. It was also the latter of two albums to feature Glen Burtnik, and the only album released by the Lawrence Gowan/Tommy Shaw/James "JY" Young/Glen Burtnik/Chuck Panozzo/Todd Sucherman lineup, and as such the only original Styx album to feature four different singer-songwriters as opposed to the usual three. The album peaked significantly higher on the Billboard album charts than Styx's previous release, Brave New World (1999), ending up 48 slots higher at No. 127, but paled in comparison to previous 1970s and 1980s releases on A&M Records.

<i>The Grand Illusion</i> 1977 studio album by Styx

The Grand Illusion is the seventh studio album by American rock band Styx. Recorded at Paragon Recording Studios in Chicago, the album was released on July 7, 1977, by A&M Records, intentionally choosing the combination 7th on 7-7-77 for luck. The release was a smash worldwide, selling three million copies in the US alone. Some estimates have the album at over 6 million copies sold. The album launched the band to stardom and spawned the hit singles "Come Sail Away" and "Fooling Yourself." The title track also received substantial FM airplay, but was never released as an official single.

<i>Crystal Ball</i> (Styx album) 1976 studio album by Styx

Crystal Ball is the sixth album by Styx, released in 1976.

<i>Equinox</i> (Styx album) 1975 studio album by Styx

Equinox is the fifth studio album by American rock band Styx, released in December 1975. The lead single "Lorelei" became Styx's second US Top 40 hit.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mr. Roboto</span> 1983 single by Styx

"Mr. Roboto" is a song by American rock band Styx, released as the lead single from their eleventh studio album, Kilroy Was Here (1983). It was written by band member Dennis DeYoung. In Canada, it went to #1 on the RPM national singles chart. It entered the US Billboard Hot 100 on 12 February 1983, reaching No. 3 in April.

<i>Cornerstone</i> (Styx album) 1979 studio album by Styx

Cornerstone is the ninth studio album by the American rock band Styx, released in 1979. Styx's third straight multi-platinum selling album, Cornerstone was Styx's first album to earn a Grammy nomination, which was for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group. Like the four previous Styx albums, the band produced the album themselves. Styx recorded the album at Pumpkin Studios in Oak Lawn, Illinois.

<i>Paradise Theatre</i> (album) 1981 studio album by Styx

Paradise Theatre is the tenth studio album by American rock band Styx, released on January 16, 1981, by A&M Records. It was the band's most commercially successful album, peaking at #1 for 3 weeks on the Billboard 200 in April and May 1981 (non-consecutively). It was also the band's fourth consecutive album to be certified triple-platinum by the RIAA.

<i>Kilroy Was Here</i> (album) 1983 studio album by Styx

Kilroy Was Here is the eleventh studio album by the American rock band Styx, released on February 22, 1983. A concept album and rock opera about a world where rock music is outlawed, it is named after a famous World War II graffiti tag, "Kilroy was here." It was the last album of original material to be released by the "classic" lineup of Dennis DeYoung, Tommy Shaw, James "J.Y." Young, John Panozzo, and Chuck Panozzo.

<i>Brave New World</i> (Styx album) 1999 studio album by Styx

Brave New World is the thirteenth studio album by Styx, released in 1999. It is the band’s first studio album to feature drummer Todd Sucherman, replacing John Panozzo, who died in 1996 and the last album to feature keyboardist/vocalist Dennis DeYoung. This is the last album that bassist Chuck Panozzo is credited as a full-time member, he would continue with the band as a part-time member. The album peaked at #175 on the Billboard 200 and reached the top 10 on the Top Internet Albums chart. However, its position on the Billboard charts was the lowest from a Styx album of new material since 1973's The Serpent Is Rising.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tommy Shaw</span> American musician

Tommy Roland Shaw is an American guitarist, singer and songwriter best known for his tenure in the rock band Styx as co-lead vocalist. In between his stints with Styx, he has played with other groups including Damn Yankees and Shaw Blades as well as releasing several solo albums.

<i>Never Gone</i> 2005 studio album by Backstreet Boys

Never Gone is the fifth studio album released by American vocal group Backstreet Boys as the follow-up to their fourth studio album Black & Blue (2000), after a short hiatus. Never Gone was originally due for release in 2004, but the release date for the album was pushed to June 14, 2005, for unknown reasons.

<i>Big Bang Theory</i> (Styx album) 2005 studio album by Styx

Big Bang Theory is the fifteenth studio album and the first covers album by the band Styx, released in 2005. It consists of cover versions of classic rock songs.

<i>Mars Audiac Quintet</i> 1994 studio album by Stereolab

Mars Audiac Quintet is the third studio album by English-French rock band Stereolab. It was released on 2 August 1994 and was issued by Duophonic Records and Elektra Records.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Don't Let It End</span> 1983 single by Styx

"Don't Let It End" is the third track and the second top 10 single on the 1983 album Kilroy Was Here, by Styx. The song is also reprised at the end of the album.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Why Me (Styx song)</span> 1979 single by Styx

"Why Me" is a song written by Dennis DeYoung that was first released on Styx's 1979 double-platinum album Cornerstone. It was also released as the second single from the album, and reached #26 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #10 on the Canada RPM Top 100 Singles chart.

"Music Time" is the sole studio track released on the live Styx album, Caught in the Act. It peaked at number 40 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart the week of June 2, 1984.

William Eric Evankovich is an American singer/songwriter, guitarist and producer, best known for his performances with Styx, The Guess Who, and rock duo Shaw Blades, his co-production of Shaw's 2011 debut bluegrass album, The Great Divide, and for producing and co-writing Styx's sixteenth studio album, The Mission, and seventeenth studio album, Crash of the Crown. Evankovic played with TGW beginning in 2014, continuing to produce Styx material with Shaw, and eventually was asked to join Styx, touring as a seventh member in 2021. He produced and played on the 2018 The Guess Who album, The Future Is What It Used To Be, with Derek Sharp, when they were both in TGW.

<i>Who You Selling For</i> 2016 studio album by The Pretty Reckless

Who You Selling For is the third studio album by American rock band The Pretty Reckless. It was released on October 21, 2016, by Razor & Tie. The album reached number 13 on the US Billboard 200 and number 23 on the UK Albums Chart. Its lead single, "Take Me Down", topped the Billboard US Mainstream Rock chart in October 2016. The album also spawned the singles "Oh My God" and "Back to the River".

<i>Crash of the Crown</i> 2021 studio album by Styx

Crash of the Crown is the seventeenth studio album by American rock band Styx. The album was released on June 18, 2021, by Universal Music Enterprises. The album charted for one week on the US Billboard 200 album chart, peaking at No. 114 on July 3, 2021. The album produced no singles that charted on any Billboard singles chart. This was also the last album to feature longtime bassist Ricky Phillips who departed from the band in March 2024.

References

  1. ↑ Styx - The Mission (2017) album review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine at AllMusic
  2. ↑ Styx - The Mission (2017) album review by Geoff Barton at TeamRock
  3. 1 2 Graff, Gary (April 21, 2017). "Styx Flies to Mars with New Album The Mission: Exclusive Premiere of "Gone Gone Gone" Track". Billboard. Retrieved June 21, 2017.
  4. ↑ "Styx Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved January 26, 2024.
  5. ↑ "Offiziellecharts.de – Styx – The Mission" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved January 26, 2024.
  6. ↑ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved January 26, 2024.
  7. ↑ "Swisscharts.com – Styx – The Mission". Hung Medien. Retrieved January 26, 2024.
  8. ↑ "Official Rock & Metal Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved January 26, 2024.
  9. ↑ "Styx Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved January 26, 2024.
  10. ↑ "Styx Chart History (Top Rock Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved January 26, 2024.
  11. ↑ "Styx Chart History (Top Tastemaker Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved January 26, 2024.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.