The Mission is one of the biggest surprises of the year. The album is a colossal and totally unpredicted return to form for Styx.
It is also the Chicago pomp-rockers first studio album of new material since 2003. The huge gap between albums, and statements made in the interim by band members, made it look very unlikely that we would ever get a brand new album from Styx. The audiences were clearly ready for it though: it would prove to be their highest charting studio album in the US in 34 years.
On top of everything else, they chose to return with a concept album. The story that is told over the course of the album details the trials, tribulations, and ultimate triumphs of the first manned mission to Mars in the year 2033.
The era of the concept albums may have been the 1970s, but unlike most of the concept pieces of that time, this is no double/triple album extravaganza. The Mission is a finely trimmed effort. The album’s running time is shortly past 40 minutes.
Styx are no strangers to concept albums, and the ones they made saw immense US chart success. Despite this, it never felt like those albums represented their creative peak. Paradise Theatre (1981) was not wholly paradisiacal, and while Kilroy Was Here (1983) definitely had a few good moments, the album was clearly the work of madmen.
However, The Mission is right up there with the very best of Styx. A remarkable achievement considering it’s 45 years since they signed their first recording contract. No wonder guitarist/vocalist Tommy Shaw describes it as the band’s “boldest, most emblematic album since [1978’s] Pieces of Eight.” He is not wrong.
The album begins, with pleasing inevitability, with a track called Overture. From there, the various songs reflect the viewpoints of the six-person crew enlisted for the maiden voyage of the interplanetary spacecraft Khedrive.
They blast off with Gone, Gone, Gone which is an instant headbanger. James Young leads the charge with an instantly catchy and very energetic rocker that you would expect to relay the energy of rockets taking off.
Tommy Shaw has always been the go-to guy when it comes to writing superbly melodic brain worms that burrow themselves into your mind and won’t let go. While everybody has their moment and the album is a strong band achievement, this really is Tommy’s album. His song writing shines, his performances are spot on, and his fingerprints are all over this album.
Shaw is wonderfully reflective on Hundred Million Miles From Home, which describes the feeling of moving further and further away from Earth. It is however one of the album’s definite highlights, Radio Silence, that best conveys the feeling of being alone in space, contact lost, with no chance of getting help. Definite thematic shades of David Bowie’s Space Odyssey on that one.
The other album highlight is Red Storm – the album’s longest track, surpassing six minutes. Easily the most “prog” song on the album, it ebbs and flows along with the story of the crew of Khedive traversing the surface of Mars.
I honestly think this is their best album since 1977’s The Grand Illusion, which is extremely high praise indeed, but nothing less than deserved. This album and its quality is sensational in every aspect, and if this had come out in the band’s heyday it would have been recognized as a rock classic and one of their best.
Unfortunately it is almost always very hard for bands with Styx’ mileage to produce a latter day album and get it favourably compared with those released in their popular formative years, as those earlier albums are so entrenched in the public consciousness.
Those who are willing to take a step back will no doubt see that they have outdone themselves with this one. Fortunately I have seen many very favourable reviews, and general feedback and sales have been encouraging. This album deserves a high standing in the Styx back catalogue – as it does when the year 2017 is summarized.
The serpent has risen. Again.
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