There are very few artists or groups who get lucky enough to survive the ever changing-musical landscape and manage to carve a career for themselves in the music industry. If they do, it usual comes at a cost. Whether it being the reshuffling of band members, power struggles, the inevitable break up and reunion, Styx just like Journey, Foreigner, Kiss &Van Halen, were no exception to the trials and tribulations of the music business.
After 13 years apart, the Chicago-based band's classic lineup of vocalist/keyboardist Dennis DeYoung, vocalist/guitarist Tommy Shaw, vocalist/guitarist James Young, and bassist Chuck Panozzo reunited for a successful greatest-hits tour in 1996. Drummer Todd Sucherman replaced John Panozzo, who died of chronic …show more content…
Depending on who you would ask, it was either the reoccurring conflict over the bands musical direction or DeYoung’s’ development of an ailment making him sensitive to light, delaying their 1999 tour. Styx decided to do the unimaginable and soldier on with new a frontman, replacing Dennis DeYoung with Canada’s very own Lawrence Gowan.
Styx managed to pull off a couple of tours and live albums proving that they were still a vital and vibrant live act. But without DeYoung’s balladry and cinematic flair there was no way that this current line up of Styx would ever record an album of original material, right…Wrong!
The band went into the studio and recorded to what would be their fourteenth studio album Cyclorama. The album was made up of fourteen tracks and was released on February 18, 2003.
I picked up Cyclorama as soon as could. I was curious as to how Styx would sound without co-founder and arguable the voice of the group, Dennis DeYoung. Personally, I wasn’t worried or bothered that DeYoung was no longer in Styx. I always gravitated towards Shaws’ material, and Shaw was at a creative and commercial peak with his Damn Yankees, Shaw/ Blades & solo records. So, if anyone could keep Styx going it was going to be
After 13 years apart, the Chicago-based band's classic lineup of vocalist/keyboardist Dennis DeYoung, vocalist/guitarist Tommy Shaw, vocalist/guitarist James Young, and bassist Chuck Panozzo reunited for a successful greatest-hits tour in 1996. Drummer Todd Sucherman replaced John Panozzo, who died of chronic …show more content…
Depending on who you would ask, it was either the reoccurring conflict over the bands musical direction or DeYoung’s’ development of an ailment making him sensitive to light, delaying their 1999 tour. Styx decided to do the unimaginable and soldier on with new a frontman, replacing Dennis DeYoung with Canada’s very own Lawrence Gowan.
Styx managed to pull off a couple of tours and live albums proving that they were still a vital and vibrant live act. But without DeYoung’s balladry and cinematic flair there was no way that this current line up of Styx would ever record an album of original material, right…Wrong!
The band went into the studio and recorded to what would be their fourteenth studio album Cyclorama. The album was made up of fourteen tracks and was released on February 18, 2003.
I picked up Cyclorama as soon as could. I was curious as to how Styx would sound without co-founder and arguable the voice of the group, Dennis DeYoung. Personally, I wasn’t worried or bothered that DeYoung was no longer in Styx. I always gravitated towards Shaws’ material, and Shaw was at a creative and commercial peak with his Damn Yankees, Shaw/ Blades & solo records. So, if anyone could keep Styx going it was going to be