Creating and recording new music is often considered the lifeblood of any band — an ethos AOR torchbearers Styx continue to embody with the highly anticipated release of Circling From Above, the 18th studio album in their formidable catalog via the band’s label, Alpha Dog 2T/UMe. Spanning 13 tracks, the album navigates the complexities of the human experience through the intersecting lenses of technology and nature.
Styx made the exclusive announcement on TalkShop.live yesterday, where a limited number of autographed CDs can be ordered now for immediate delivery. Tommy Shaw, Lawrence Gowan, and Will Evankovich participated in a live interview with host Steve Harkins.
While the album won’t be available on streaming or digital outlets until July 18, Circling From Above CDs and vinyl copies are also available to purchase today from here for immediate delivery. They will also be available starting with tonight’s launch – and at every show – of this summer’s “Brotherhood of Rock” tour with The Kevin Cronin Band and special guest Don Felder (a former lead guitarist of the Eagles) in Greenville, SC at the Bon Secours Wellness Arena.
Circling From Above features contributions from all seven members of the band, including founding guitarist/vocalist James “JY” Young (affectionately known as “The Godfather of Styx”), guitarist/vocalist Tommy Shaw, original bassist Chuck Panozzo, longtime drummer Todd Sucherman, keyboardist/vocalist Lawrence Gowan, guitarist/vocalist Will Evankovich and bassist Terry Gowan.
The kinetic energy of lead single “Build and Destroy” is the first introduction of new music to their fans who’ve been circling around the band for over 50 years. It’s available to stream and download on all digital outlets, and can be streamed below.
“That little melody, I kept singing ‘Build and Destroy,’” explains singer/keyboardist Lawrence Gowan, who takes the lead vocal. “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.”
Shaw and Evankovich jumped in to flesh out the verses and finalize the lyrics, and the song came together in just a day and a half. “We knew it was strong,” Gowan says. “Even though it was the second-to-last song we finished, it felt like a quick way into the album’s overall theme.”
Circling From Above is a dynamic collection that reflects the full emotional and stylistic range of the Styx canon. It’s muscular yet introspective, theatrical in moments, and layered in sincerity at others, balancing progressive leanings with deeper, thought-provoking messages.
“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,” says Shaw. “A good song is like a straight road — it’ll get you to the next place.”
The album, the band’s third in eight years, delivers a 41-minute, end-to-end listening experience that is both thought-provoking and exhilarating. A masterclass in storytelling, it blends signature Styx hallmarks with bold steps forward, building on the creative momentum of recent releases, The Mission (2017) and Crash Of The Crown (2021).
The album was produced by Evankovich, who also helmed the band’s previous two records before becoming an official member in 2022. All 13 songs were penned in various combinations by the band’s songwriting triumvirate of Shaw, Evankovich, and Lawrence Gowan. Referencing the trio’s creative spark, Lawrence Gowan says it’s not a simple case of majority rules but rather a true collaborative endeavor.
“I’ve noticed over the last three records, there’s a real effort to make sure everyone’s got a smile on their face at the end of it,” he says. “There’s creative friction, but everybody gets a go around the table, and we all get a swing at the tree. And that’s really, really good.”
“It’s a strange three-way democracy for sure,” Evankovich says. “We all know that the institution of Styx is the most important thing.”
Midway through writing the album, a loose theme began to orbit the band’s creative process — a gravitational pull, if you will, guiding them down the straight road Shaw describes. In a moment of studio serendipity, talk turned to an app that tracks abandoned satellites, those silent relics of once-lofty ambition. From that spark, the opening tracks — including the title cut and “Build and Destroy” — took shape, tracing the tension between human ingenuity and the dreams we sometimes discard in its pursuit.
“When they were shot up into space, these satellites were somebody’s dream and ambition,” says Shaw of the once cutting-edge technology now floating aimlessly through the atmosphere. “They served their purpose, and they were cast aside. It’s a wasteland up there, but they were once created with love. We’re all humans, and who’s to say our love project is better than someone else’s?”
Look closely at the album cover art, and you will see this thematic overture take flight. Thousands of starlings — chosen specifically for their supreme ability to work in concert together with their flight patterns — in the shape of one bird, soaring over a dilapidated satellite dish.
“They’re prevailing and we’re failing,” notes Evankovich of the cover. “We’re not like the rest of the creatures that work in stewardship together, like the birds and the bees and all the other things. We do things and then create waste for ourselves that ends up harming us.”
Styx has remained a touring juggernaut for the past 25 years, but according to guitarist/vocalist Tommy Shaw, the band’s current streak of artistic resurgence in the studio is due to multiple factors tethered to a deep sense of harmony.
“There’s just a lot of positive flow right now,” says Shaw. “There are a lot of people playing great, and there’s a lot of love, respect, and excitement about each other’s talents. Bands can go lifetimes and never have this kind of rapport and chemistry.”
Earlier this year, Styx and Kevin Cronin, the iconic voice and writer behind REO Speedwagon‘s greatest hits, wrapped up hugely successful sold-out residencies at The Venetian Theatre. Due to the overwhelming response from both residencies, Styx and The Kevin Cronin Band are bringing these special album shows for the first time, plus their hits, to the amphitheaters and arenas as part of the “Brotherhood of Rock” tour. Get your tickets here.
Styx, Kevin Cronin, and Don Felder “Brotherhood Of Rock” 2025 Tour Dates:
05/28 – Greenville, SC @ Bon Secours Wellness Arena
05/30 – Hollywood, FL @ Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
05/31 – Tampa, FL @ MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre
06/02 – Jacksonville, FL @ Daily’s Place
06/04 – Austin, TX @ Germania Insurance Amphitheater
06/06 – The Woodlands, TX @ Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
06/07 – Ridgedale, MO – Thunder Ridge Nature Arena
06/09 – Denver, CO @ Fiddler’s Green Amphitheatre
06/11 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Utah First Credit Union Amphitheatre
06/13 – Concord, CA @ Toyota Pavilion at Concord
06/14 – Bend, OR @ Hayden Homes Amphitheater
06/15 – Ridgefield, WA @ RV Inn Style Resort Amphitheater
06/28 – Albuquerque, NM @ Isleta Amphitheatre
06/30 – Colorado Springs, CO @ Ford Amphitheatre
07/02 – Kansas City, MO @ Starlight Theatre
07/05 – Birmingham, AL @ Coca-Cola Amphitheatre
07/06 – Alpharetta, GA @ Ameris Bank Amphitheatre
07/08 – Charlotte, NC @ PNC Music Pavilion
07/09 – Raleigh, NC @ Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek
07/11 – Virginia Beach, VA @ Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater
07/12 – Bristow, VA @ Jiffy Lube Live
07/14 – Syracuse, NY @ Empower Federal Credit Union Amphitheater
07/15 – Bridgeport, CT @ Hartford HealthCare Amphitheater
07/18 – Gilford, NH @ BankNH Pavilion
07/19 – Mansfield, MA @ Xfinity Center
07/20 – Holmdel, NJ @ PNC Bank Arts Center
08/01 – Dallas, TX @ Dos Equis Pavilion
08/02 – Brandon, MS @ Brandon Amphitheater
08/04 – Franklin, TX @ FirstBank Amphitheater
08/06 – Richmond, VA @ Allianz Amphitheater at Riverfront
08/08 – Camden, NJ @ Freedom Mortgage Pavilion
08/10 – Burgettstown, PA @ The Pavilion at Star Lake
08/12 – Saratoga Springs, NY @ Broadview Stage at SPAC
08/13 – Toronto, ON @ Budweiser Stage
08/5 – Noblesville, IN @ Ruoff Music Center
08/16 – Clarkston, MI @ Pine Knob Music Theatre
08/19 – Cincinnati, OH @ Riverbend Music Center
08/20 – Cuyahoga Falls, OH @ Blossom Music Center
08/22 – Maryland Heights, MO @ Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre
08/23 – Tinley Park, IL @ Credit Union 1 Amphitheatre
08/24 – Milwaukee, WI @ American Family Insurance Amphitheater
