UPDATE TO BELOW STORY....
In February we reported that Styx had completed their 18th studio album and third since 2017.
Titled Circling From Above, the first single, "Build and Destroy," is out now.
It's sung by keyboardist Lawrence Gowan who says, “That little melody, I kept singing ‘Build and Destroy’. Even though we don’t sing over that part, I kept thinking that would be a good title. It’s thematic. The melody feels like a little Star Trek or Twilight Zone thing — just a small tag that reinforces the title.”
As for recording another album, their first since 2021's Crash of the Crown, Tommy Shaw says, "When you start writing an album, there's generally something that piques your imagination, and all of a sudden, you’re a storyteller starting with the seed of a story. A good song is like a straight road — it’ll get you to the next place.”
Circling From Above contains 13 tracks and will be released digitally on July 18th. Physical copies can be purchased now at StyxWorld.com for immediate delivery, and they're also available at every show on their Brotherhood of Rock tour, which starts tonight (Wednesday) in Greenville, South Carolina.
Circling From Above track list:
- Circling From Above
- Build and Destroy
- Michigan
- King of Love
- It’s Clear
- Forgive
- Everyone Raise A Glass
- Blue Eyed Raven
- She Knows
- Ease Your Mind
- The Things That You Said
- We Lost the Wheel Again
- Only You Can Decide
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One of this summer's bigger package tours gets underway tonight as Styx, former REO Speedwagon frontman Kevin Cronin, and former Eagles guitarist Don Felder begin the Brotherhood of Rock tour in Greenville, South Carolina.
No strangers to touring together, the three acts last shared the stage in 2018 on the United We Rock tour.
Styx will perform their 1977 album, The Grand Illusion, in its entirety, and Cronin will do the same with REO's 1980 effort, Hi Infidelity.
The tour runs through August 24th in Milwaukee.
This marks the first tour for the Kevin Cronin Band, which is the last incarnation of REO without the name as Cronin is not allowed to use it.
Last September, the band released a statement saying, "To our fans: [Bassist] Bruce [Hall] has intended to be back on the road again by now. If it were up to just him, he’d be back on tour…but it’s not up to just him. The consensus opinion was that he had not recovered sufficiently to be able to perform at the level the fans have come to expect. Bruce respected that opinion and is grateful that Matt [Bissonette] has been around to keep the Wagon rolling through the summer tour. Bruce never had any intention of retiring or walking away from the band, fans, and crew he has loved for almost 50 years.
"For [singer] Kevin’s [Cronin] part, he too has never had any intention of leaving the band, and the fans and crew mean the world to him, as well.
"Due to this complex situation, irreconcilable differences arose between Bruce and Kevin. So, it is with great sadness that we announce REO Speedwagon will cease touring effective January 1st, 2025. [Founding and now retired keyboardist] Neil [Doughty], Kevin, and Bruce thank their fans for all their years of loyal support and for giving back to the band such wonderful memories that will remain with each of them forever."
So Kevin, with REO's hired hands in tow, set out on his own and spoke more about the split in December when the Brotherhood of Rock tour was announced.
The Brotherhood of Rock Tour was supposed to stop at Dos Equis Pavillion in Dallas on August 1st. That show has been cancelled.
If you want to see them in Texas, you'll have to road trip to Austin next Wednesday, June 4th or Houston Friday June 6th.