Crash Of The Crown thoughts

[ChicagoSTYX]

I just listed to COTC for the first time and my initial thoughts are that it is the most fun I've had listening to a new Styx album since 1978. If you like The Mission, COTC takes it to the next level.

[yogi]

How did you get it early?

[St.George]

From what I've heard so far, not even remotely close to "The Mission", unfortunately...

@yogi, it will be on Spotify at your local 00:00 hours.

[ChicagoSTYX]

I listened to it again in the car on the way home today. In my opinion it’s better then The Mission. It’s just a damn good album no matter who made it! You really need to hear the entire album. It’s really not a concept album it’s just an excellent rock album with progressive overtones!

[ChicagoSTYX]

How did you get it early?

A friend was able to get me a copy from someone he knows. Can’t wait to get the vinyl delivered tomorrow!

[yogi]

Best songs?? Anything as good as Locomotive??

[St.George]

Best songs?? Anything as good as Locomotive??

Not even close, to my ears...

[yogi]

So what songs are better than Locomotive??

The first two releases are not even close to anything off the Mission (IMO)

[ChicagoSTYX]

Best songs?? Anything as good as Locomotive??

I’m not sure if anyone else here actually heard the album yet but I can say that there are many songs better than Locomotive on COTC. Of course it’s all objective but to my ears, this is the album I have been waiting for since 1978. It’s creative, different, great harmonies, great song writing, and excellent execution. I will say that I’m not a fan of past Styx songs like Lonely People, nothing ever goes as planned, she cares, babe, or high time. This album is more like, born for adventure, queen of spades, snow blind, fooling yourself, castle walls, and man in the wilderness. If you like the first set of songs I mentioned, this album not for you. If you like the second set of songs I mentioned, you will like COTC!

[ChicagoSTYX]

Best songs?? Anything as good as Locomotive??

Hard to choose but right now my favorites are, A Monster, Save Us From Ourselves, Sound The Alarm, Long Live The King, and Coming Out The Other Side. To Those is really good too!

[Hustler]

I’m not sure if anyone else here actually heard the album yet but I can say that there are many songs better than Locomotive on COTC. Of course it’s all objective but to my ears, this is the album I have been waiting for since 1978. It’s creative, different, great harmonies, great song writing, and excellent execution. I will say that I’m not a fan of past Styx songs like Lonely People, nothing ever goes as planned, she cares, babe, or high time. This album is more like, born for adventure, queen of spades, snow blind, fooling yourself, castle walls, and man in the wilderness. If you like the first set of songs I mentioned, this album not for you. If you like the second set of songs I mentioned, you will like COTC!

I’m not a regular poster over here, but I was commenting on COTC on the noticeboard and thought I see what you folks are saying.

I’ve had 2-3 spins now through the entire album. My initial impressions are that it’s really good, but that will require several spins to fully digest, even more so than The Mission. The more I listen to it the more I like it- I’ve already started fiddling with the playing order of the tracks to get what imo is a better flow.

I agree with most of what you said- however, there’s nothing on COTC that rocks hard like born for adventure or queen of spades- I wish there were! Fooling yourself, castle walls, and man in the wilderness are comparable, but still a lot more accessible, and I don’t think there’s any guarantee that if someone liked those song’s they’ll like COTC. This is not the “Grand Illusion pt. II” by any means.

Does it “sound like Styx”? Well, yes…and/or no… depending on what it is about Styx that appeals most to the listener. The signature musicianship and vocal harmonies are there, but not much of the easily accessible “rockers and ballads” of the Equinox thru Paradise albums. Personally I’m more than ok without any more songs like Lady or Babe, but I really miss having a couple JY hard rockers with some extended soloing to get into. I guess that’s the trade-off here. I would have gladly swapped a couple tracks here for The Same Stardust from the EP which is probably as close to a straight up rocker than anything on the full album. As a fan from all the way back to the very beginning, this album feels sort of like a modern interpretation of Wooden Nickel era Styx… if they had they continued down the path of an album like The Serpent Is Rising, this might be where they could have evolved into: less commercial, more “proggy” (not in terms of lengthy musical jamming but in the eclectic nature of the songwriting and depth of the short yet complex arrangements). I think John Curulewski (RIP) would have liked this album! That said, I loved The Serpent Is Rising (but I’d guess most Styx fans don’t, or have even heard it).

I think it’s an excellent album but it’s going to be interesting though to see how well COTC goes over with mainstream Styx fans. I’m predicting there may even be some that liked The Mission that may not like it.

[FormerDJMike]

I've played it thru once so far. It's good but I like The Mission better. On The Mission they did make an attempt to sound like classic Styx. On this it just sounds like classic prog. Fans of Neal Morse or Spock's Beard might like it a lot. Hold Back The Darkness reminds me of "Welcome To The Machine".

As for my vinyl copy, it says it is still in Austin, TX so I doubt it will be here today. My copy of Stardust which shipped on Monday says it is still in Jacksonville.

[ChicagoSTYX]

I’m not sure if anyone else here actually heard the album yet but I can say that there are many songs better than Locomotive on COTC. Of course it’s all objective but to my ears, this is the album I have been waiting for since 1978. It’s creative, different, great harmonies, great song writing, and excellent execution. I will say that I’m not a fan of past Styx songs like Lonely People, nothing ever goes as planned, she cares, babe, or high time. This album is more like, born for adventure, queen of spades, snow blind, fooling yourself, castle walls, and man in the wilderness. If you like the first set of songs I mentioned, this album not for you. If you like the second set of songs I mentioned, you will like COTC!

I’m not a regular poster over here, but I was commenting on COTC on the noticeboard and thought I see what you folks are saying.

I’ve had 2-3 spins now through the entire album. My initial impressions are that it’s really good, but that will require several spins to fully digest, even more so than The Mission. The more I listen to it the more I like it- I’ve already started fiddling with the playing order of the tracks to get what imo is a better flow.

I agree with most of what you said- however, there’s nothing on COTC that rocks hard like born for adventure or queen of spades- I wish there were! Fooling yourself, castle walls, and man in the wilderness are comparable, but still a lot more accessible, and I don’t think there’s any guarantee that if someone liked those song’s they’ll like COTC. This is not the “Grand Illusion pt. II” by any means.

Does it “sound like Styx”? Well, yes…and/or no… depending on what it is about Styx that appeals most to the listener. The signature musicianship and vocal harmonies are there, but not much of the easily accessible “rockers and ballads” of the Equinox thru Paradise albums. Personally I’m more than ok without any more songs like Lady or Babe, but I really miss having a couple JY hard rockers with some extended soloing to get into. I guess that’s the trade-off here. I would have gladly swapped a couple tracks here for The Same Stardust from the EP which is probably as close to a straight up rocker than anything on the full album. As a fan from all the way back to the very beginning, this album feels sort of like a modern interpretation of Wooden Nickel era Styx… if they had they continued down the path of an album like The Serpent Is Rising, this might be where they could have evolved into: less commercial, more “proggy” (not in terms of lengthy musical jamming but in the eclectic nature of the songwriting and depth of the short yet complex arrangements). I think John Curulewski (RIP) would have liked this album! That said, I loved The Serpent Is Rising (but I’d guess most Styx fans don’t, or have even heard it).

I think it’s an excellent album but it’s going to be interesting though to see how well COTC goes over with mainstream Styx fans. I’m predicting there may even be some that liked The Mission that may not like it.

I agree with most of what you wrote. I'm like you as I've been a fan since the Wooden Nickel days and I can see where you would compare this to some of those albums. But there are songs like Sound The Alarm and Our Wonderful Lives that could have fit on any of the A&M albums. Both great songs!

[LtVanish]

I've listened to it twice so far and I'd say it's better than the Mission to my ears, I really didn't care for the Mission as a whole. This album has more memorable songs. I guess time will tell once it soaks in. This has been a wonderful two weeks, I'm done complaining, I am thankful and happy that we basically get 2 Styx albums and a EP in a two week period and I think between the Styx album and DDY album, there is plenty of tracks on both releases to please every fan. I'll be constructing my own personal playlist albums mixing all these tracks together for certain for the ultimate Styx 2021 experience.

[birdynumnum]

Heard this once and so far, I’m impressed. I really liked the first two singles. My thoughts on the first listen are that Our Wonderful Lives is a great track and I really liked The Fight of Our Lives, but that song should of been longer. It had such a catchy chorus. Overall I need to digest the rest but I do like it and I’m looking forward to a second spin. I do find the prog rock “ELP like” synth Gowan uses here is overused. Wish they would have had more variety in the synth sounds.

I remember my first opinions on the Mission weren't favourable. I didn’t think it was interesting and after 5 listens I gave up. I actually like it a bit better now, but I think COTC seems more interesting so far. Different strokes!

With DDY, I really like Hello Goodbye. Still absorbing the rest, but can’t say it’s sticking with me.

I’ve heard before people saying they don’t like Lonely people on PT. I loved that song. I though it fit in well with the concept and feel of the album. She Cares though, ugh

[StyxGuy]

Heard this once and so far, I’m impressed. I really liked the first two singles. My thoughts on the first listen are that Our Wonderful Lives is a great track and I really liked The Fight of Our Lives, but that song should of been longer. It had such a catchy chorus. Overall I need to digest the rest but I do like it and I’m looking forward to a second spin. I do find the prog rock “ELP like” synth Gowan uses here is overused. Wish they would have had more variety in the synth sounds.

I remember my first opinions on the Mission weren't favourable. I didn’t think it was interesting and after 5 listens I gave up. I actually like it a bit better now, but I think COTC seems more interesting so far. Different strokes!

With DDY, I really like Hello Goodbye. Still absorbing the rest, but can’t say it’s sticking with me.

I’ve heard before people saying they don’t like Lonely people on PT. I loved that song. I though it fit in well with the concept and feel of the album. She Cares though, ugh

Maybe it's the horns... or the bass line... but there is something about Loney People that I must admit I *REALLY* like. For me, I could never wrap my head around most of Cyclorama.. that was not a Styx album to me and only a couple of the songs did I really enjoy (either lyrically or musically).

Excited that in the past year we've had 2 DDY albums a Styx EP and album. Hopefully both are doing some touring my way next year... my local venues are fully aware of how much I want them to bring Styx or DDY back

[yogi]

The first set of songs ChicagoStyx talks about Lonely People, She Cares, High Time... I do NOT like. The second set Born For Adventure,Queen of Spades, Man In the Wilderness...I absolutely love. It’s because of those types of songs I love Styx so much. Also while A&M Styx is HIGHLY superior to Wooden Nickel Styx in my book, I did like the Wooden Nickel albums. I really hope ChicagoStyx is correct in his assessment of COC. If so I’m gonna love it. I loved The Mission, so if it’s even close to that quality I’m pumped up to get it. I’m the mean time I’ll just keep listening to 26E Vol ll til my two CD copies of Crash of the Crown arrives.

[brywool]

ABSOLUTELY BLOWN AWAY. Just listened to the album. It is the most adventurous and proggish I've heard from them. Ever. While I'm not particularly a 'prog guy', I love what I'm hearing here. I've never heard the band play like this. I'm not saying it's 'better than this album or that album' or anything like that. But, Jesus- what a kick in the ass it is. It is absolutely a new sound for them and I'm loving it. Tommy's acoustic is all over it and even his bluegrass stuff creeps in and it completely fits the album. Gowan and Sucherman are absolutely kicking ass on this album. It's not 'formulaic' or 'signature sound' it's just a killer album. Jesus, where's FM when you need it??? "Sound the Alarm" should absolutely be a worldwide hit. What a great song. Never got 'the feels' from Styx before. There is so much here to love. When I first heard 'the singles' I was kind of leery, but in context of the album, they fit really really well. "Save Us From Ourselves" is another standout track. Love it.

[ChicagoSTYX]

ABSOLUTELY BLOWN AWAY. Just listened to the album. It is the most adventurous and proggish I've heard from them. Ever. While I'm not particularly a 'prog guy', I love what I'm hearing here. I've never heard the band play like this. I'm not saying it's 'better than this album or that album' or anything like that. But, Jesus- what a kick in the ass it is. It is absolutely a new sound for them and I'm loving it. Tommy's acoustic is all over it and even his bluegrass stuff creeps in and it completely fits the album. Gowan and Sucherman are absolutely kicking ass on this album. It's not 'formulaic' or 'signature sound' it's just a killer album. Jesus, where's FM when you need it??? "Sound the Alarm" should absolutely be a worldwide hit. What a great song. Never got 'the feels' from Styx before. There is so much here to love. When I first heard 'the singles' I was kind of leery, but in context of the album, they fit really really well. "Save Us From Ourselves" is another standout track. Love it.

I couldn't agree more! I love this album no matter who made it. That was my first reaction. I'm just happy that it's Styx that made this album!

[brywool]

RIGHT? It's like they said 'Let's just do what we freaking want, bring in all our influences and forget what is expected of us'. I liked the Mission quite a bit too, but this is like that on 11 to me.

[yogi]

Sounds GREAT now my CDs need to arrive. I’ve yet to get anything from Amazon that’s even shows they’ve shipped them

[ChicagoSTYX]

COTC is #2 on Amazon overall and #4 on iTunes overall. Not just rock albums.

[StyxGuy]

COTC is #2 on Amazon overall and #4 on iTunes overall. Not just rock albums.

Styx Greatest Hits is climbing up the ranks too... I think it was like #345 yesterday... #218 today on Amazon

[yogi]

Just got back from possibly the best walk of my life. My daughter flew out tonight with her boyfriend from Shreveport to Destin on vacation. So armed with her dog Trouble(Rhodesian Ridgeback, Dachshund, Swamp Fox, and Common Garden Squirrel Mix) and my dog Muttley( Crazy ass GREAT Boxer) we started our walk. 1 hour later we finished.

Since Amazon informed me today my CD copies of Crash of the Crown would not arrive until June 22 I broke down and clicked on my auto rip. I put my ear buds in and hit play as I started my walk. Without giving you a song by song breakdown I’ll give you my 100% honest assessment, after 1 listen. It is:

Holy Shit!!!

The best comparison I can give was back in Junior High I purchased the Cars first album from Cheapos Records in St Paul. Side 2 of that album was PERFECT. One song bled into the next and it made a PERFECT album side of a near TOTALLY PERFECT album. COC is a PERFECT album. It’s one 46 minute song, with one PERFECT song bleeding into the next and so on and so on til the album closes.

I’m totally blown away at the PERFECTION Styx just came up with. I may give a song by song breakdown of this album at a later time. But for now and for me after one full listen, the album is just 1 long PERFECT song.

No way I can express how amazed I am with this album. These guys are all SUPERTARS!!!!

[ChicagoSTYX]

Just got back from possibly the best walk of my life. My daughter flew out tonight with her boyfriend from Shreveport to Destin on vacation. So armed with her dog Trouble(Rhodesian Ridgeback, Dachshund, Swamp Fox, and Common Garden Squirrel Mix) and my dog Muttley( Crazy ass GREAT Boxer) we started our walk. 1 hour later we finished.

Since Amazon informed me today my CD copies of Crash of the Crown would not arrive until June 22 I broke down and clicked on my auto rip. I put my ear buds in and hit play as I started my walk. Without giving you a song by song breakdown I’ll give you my 100% honest assessment, after 1 listen. It is:

Holy Shit!!!

The best comparison I can give was back in Junior High I purchased the Cars first album from Cheapos Records in St Paul. Side 2 of that album was PERFECT. One song bled into the next and it made a PERFECT album side of a near TOTALLY PERFECT album. COC is a PERFECT album. It’s one 46 minute song, with one PERFECT song bleeding into the next and so on and so on til the album closes.

I’m totally blown away at the PERFECTION Styx just came up with. I may give a song by song breakdown of this album at a later time. But for now and for me after one full listen, the album is just 1 long PERFECT song.

No way I can express how amazed I am with this album. These guys are all SUPERTARS!!!!

I agree 100%. They knocked it out of the park! I have been playing the vinyl tonight which for me makes it even better!!

[Monker]

Well, I agree with most of the stuff posted here. This is what I've wanted since Cyclorama. Everything is just hitting on all cylinders here. JY's comment about CotC being "kinda" like a concept album makes sense now to me. It also makes sense why they left Stardust and Entropia off...I can see how it could throw the CD off slightly. I really, really don't want Styx to try to sound like 1978...this is who they are TODAY and it's a very good thing. Hopefully they can keep releasing a CD every couple years...cuz this music is NOT something they should hold back on.

Asking if a song is better than Locomotive, or any other specific song, is missing the point. CotC is in another realm than "The Mission". It's like they took the experience they gained and it convinced them to go all in and didn't hold back. I hope it finds an audience today because it deserves a lot of attention.

I know Tommy and Will are getting a lot of attention...But, IMO, Gowan deserves a LOT of credit here, too. He delivers a lot of vocals and keyboards and is OUTSTANDING at both.

[birdynumnum]

On further listens I gotta say this is a killer album. The more I listen to it, the more I want to listen to it. There were some minor complaints I had initially, but they are gone. My only main one is that some of the songs are so good I wish they were longer. To Those is one of them. I keep repeating it. I really can't remember the last time I was so enthralled with a new album, Styx or otherwise. I agree that it reminds me of being younger and listening to classic albums the first time.

[yogi]

You can be pissed as shi t with the way Tommy, JY and Chuck totally fuc. ed Dennis. But there is no denying the absolute brilliance of the Crash Of The Crown album.

I truly have never heard anything like it or even close to it. The album is absolutely brilliant. It’s meant to be played first song to last song and all the songs run together into ONE PERFECT PIECE of music.

In some crazy way these songs represent my actual beliefs in how I hope that Me & my family try to live our lives.

Never have I heard an album quite like this.

It’s PERFECT!

Thank you Styx!!!

[FormerDJMike]

Anyone get a physical copy yet? Still waiting on mine and although it has shipped tracking says "status unavailable".

[Monker]

Anyone get a physical copy yet? Still waiting on mine and although it has shipped tracking says "status unavailable".

Yep, got it yesterday.