Chicago’s Own, Styx, Return With New Album, Continued NonProfit Support and Tour With A Stop In Rockford

Nov 04, 2025 admin_bitlc Features, Music News, Reviews 0

STYX released their highly anticipated 18th studio album, CIRCLING FROM ABOVE, on May 28 as part of the launch of their “Brotherhood of Rock” tour with The Kevin Cronin and Don Felder. It was made available for sale as CD at all tour stops before it was released on digital outlets July 18. Since May 28, it’s also been available for sale and immediate delivery on CD and vinyl on their official website, Styxworld.com, all via the band’s label, Alpha Dog 2T/UMe.

Now that the “Brotherhood of Rock” tour concluded August 24, STYX isn’t slowing down anytime soon.

They’re returning to Illinois for a show in Rockford on Friday, November 14 at the BMO Center Arena with Loverboy.

Spanning 13 tracks, the new album, CIRCLING FROM ABOVE navigates the complexities of the human experience through the intersecting lenses of technology and nature. It delivers a 41-minute, end-to-end listening experience that is both thought-provoking and exhilarating, and 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.

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.

It marks the third album in a row for new STYX music to be labeled as a “masterpiece” (by Antimusic.com), following up on their 2021 CRASH OF THE CROWN and 2017’s THE MISSION (which was their first in 14 years at the time). VintageRock.com proclaimed, “CIRCLING FROM ABOVE is a solid, full-circle effort that emphasizes how the band has no interest in resting on its laurels or cashing in only on its hits.” TheRockPit.net declared, “CIRCLING FROM ABOVE is STYX at their best: nostalgic yet forward-looking, polished yet soulful. It’s an album that proves this veteran band still has plenty of gas in the tank. Pop it in, crank it up, and let Styx take you on a journey that’s out of this world.”

“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.

At every tour stop, the band continues to make local donations via Rock to the Rescue—spearheaded by Tommy Shaw’s daughter, Hannah and is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization founded by the band, whose mission is to build strong, healthy communities through the support of grassroots organizations across the country—which will continue to research local nonprofit organizations and pick one to see if they are interested in volunteering to help the band sell $10 tickets for a drawing to win a signed STYX guitar at the shows. They give these organizations a percentage of the sales as their way of supporting their cause and thanking them for supporting the band’s cause.

Rock To The Rescue was founded on the principle that our communities are stronger when we work together in mutual aid. Having played thousands of shows in the last 15 years, STYX has been strongly connected with communities across the country. With local fans and community members making an effort to join in support of STYX, it is important to the band to actively participate in these communities as well. What makes Rock to the Rescue unique is that they work on a grassroots level with small groups, giving real support to real individuals who are creating positive changes in their communities. Rock to the Rescue is building initiatives in the areas of music education, health and well-being, disaster relief and aid, and animal welfare and rescue.

Rock to the Rescue originally started in 2001 as a result of the 9/11 terrorist attacks and is the brainchild of STYX singer/guitarist Tommy Shaw and REO Speedwagon singer/keyboardist/guitarist Kevin Cronin. The two musicians brought together bands and artists such as Bad Company, Journey, Survivor, Kansas, Lynyrd Skynyrd and many others to be part of “Volunteers For America” concert events in Dallas and Atlanta that ultimately raised over $775,000 for victims of 9/11, as well as the Port Authority police department in New York City.

For more on Styx, click here

For more on Rock To The Rescue, click here

For tickets to Styx live in Rockford, click here