Single Review: Styx Builds Hype For New Album With Lead Single "Build and Destroy"

Rejoice, Styx nation!

You have been waiting for fresh Styx material since 2021 with unbroken patience, and -at long last- you've finally got it. On May 28th, the American rock monarchs released the lead single from their forthcoming album Circling From Above, after teasing the song's release on their social pages with little-to-no warning. Styx has been masters of their craft since the early 1970s, and if you believed they were slowing down anytime soon, they've got just the song to prove you wrong.

The instant classic, titled "Build and Destroy", can be best described as a masterful merge of the group's two most recent albums: 2017's The Mission and 2021's Crash of the Crown. The sound held by each of those records is distinctly reflective of their trademark mid-to-late 70s flair, but also shows daring evolution in the band's creative process. In other words, they continue to grow, but still stand firmly in their roots. I like to think of The Mission and Crash of the Crown as the trunk and branches of the "modern Styx discography" tree, and- if this single says anything about their next album- Circling From Above must be the leaves and the flowers.

Will Evankovich (as a producer and band member) has been essential to the crafting of Styx's unique 21st century sound, and dare I say his producing defines the modern 2017-2025 era of the band’s music. With a band as popular as Styx, there’s no doubt that staying true to their musical fingerprint is important to them. Since Styx actively ruled the late 1970s, it's also no surprise that some remnants of that irreplaceable era come to light in this new single. That, and having Evankovich (a child of the 70s) in close quarters seems to round out the present lineup quite well. The excellence of their artistry together is demonstrated to its full potential in "Build and Destroy".

Right away, as a listener, I was teleported back to 1976. Specifically, I was taken back to "Breakdown" by Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, and "Space Intro/Fly Like An Eagle" from the Steve Miller Band. 24 hours later, and I think I'm hearing even more of 1976 on this track with slight nods to "Crystal Ball" from Styx's 1976 album of the same name. The more I continue to listen, the more I find myself naming groups that it vaguely reminds me of. Even with the teaser of "Build and Destroy" before it was formally released, the first thing I felt was a beautiful kind of deja vu. It was so unique of a bouncy keyboard intro, yet I couldn't help but feel I had heard it in a past life.

It was Todd Sucherman's infallible percussion that really pulled me into this one; it was the first thing that grabbed my attention. It’s sassy, it’s groovy, it’s urgent- it’s epic. This isn’t your typical Styx song that’s driven by epic guitar riffs and heart-soaring solos; it’s piloted by the combination of Sucherman’s expert drumming and Lawrence Gowan’s keyboard that figuratively (and literally) spins you around. It made me twirl around my room and bop hard on the first listen. The way “Build and Destroy” is built is quite simple: Sucherman’s drums are the backbone, Gowan’s keys are the glitter, and Tommy Shaw’s harmonies are the lightning. Equally dreamy and confident, it’s safe to say I indulged in it 16 times just on its release date alone.

Lyrically, the song instantly made my imagination revisit the storyline that accompanied The Mission. Based on just the first line, I was questioning if this could possibly be a continuation of one of my favorite creations of theirs. "Now here we are, back with the stars, improving all of our moves," they sing, perhaps hinting at a general theme or tale told throughout the album. I'm a sucker for a good concept album, so my mind always tends to head down that path of interpretation. With both The Mission and Crash of the Crown fitting the definition of concept and/or themed albums, I can imagine the folks in Styx might still be riding the high of those treasures they created.

Often I wonder what Styx would’ve sounded like in the mid-80s, don't you? Had they not gone their separate ways and given us one masterpiece solo album after the other, who knows what their material would have sounded like? While “Build and Destroy” is not entirely the definition of fulfilling this fantasy, its chorus gives me almost a whisper of what that non-existent era of Styx may have held in another universe. This is just another reason why the overall feel of this track is both nostalgic and futuristic.

If you're looking to find "the path to hope and joy", look no further than the new Styx tune. Both hopeful and promising of the upcoming record's sound, it’s a joy to behold for the first time. It’s worth a bit more than just a quick listen. Jam-packed with a plethora of sounds of the 70s, the overall  sounds as if it were a beautiful color scheme, but for your eardrums. 

If the rest of this upcoming record is just as profound as its lead single, I'd say we have another masterpiece that’s about to be in our hands.

“Build and Destroy” is available for streaming right now, and Circling From Above will be formally released everywhere on July 18th. Copies are available right now in person if you catch Styx on The Brotherhood of Rock Tour with The Kevin Cronin Band and Don Felder. The album is also available for preorder on CD and vinyl formats via styxworld.com.

(Shoutout to my day job coworkers who put up with me while I write these articles. I'm not slacking off, I swear)