Styx
From Popwiki
Styx is a band homebrewed in the depths of the River Styx, a well-known subway line in Manhattan. Side effects of listening to Styx music apparently includes the desire to play keyboards and the ability to do the Robot.
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Early Prominance
The band came to early prominence with the song Fooling Yourself (The Angry Young Man) which is most memorable for it's instrumental/synthesized opening sequence. Combining Medieval sounds with synthesizers, the hyper paced portion of the opening has often been described as "I have a Renaissance Festival in my pants"!
Mr. Roboto
Mr. Roboto is a fictional character in the created by Styx. Mr. Roboto is a Unit 22 Robot and was his mother's 1729th son, comprised of 40% Zinc and 40% Titanium. His father was killed in a freak accident involving a can opener. Mr. Roboto attended Bending State college where he majored in steel manufacturing and minored in Robo-American studies. His pastimes include watching TV, smoking cigars and stealing. To be able to function properly he needs the chemical energy from alcohol, so excessive drinking is mandatory or he will become sober and unable to control his body.
Band history
The 1980s
Styx burst onto the scene of Christian Rock in 1985, making their first hit single, "The Battle of Mr. Roboto," in which they built Mr. Roboto a cybernetically-enhanced heart which enabled him to feel human emotions and interact with his comrades as a human rather than a pure machine. Hense the phrase, "Domo arigato, Mr. Roboto.
Given that the accompanying cartoon series was drawing to a close at the time his character was introduced, Mr. Roboto made only one appearance in the Styx musical library, but unlike most other characters introduced at this time, Mr. Roboto was lucky enough to get a whole song written around him. Mr. Roboto also made a guest appearance on The Simpsons, in the episode, "Happy Birthday Homer." This featured a radically different origin story for Mr. Roboto, in which he was a space explorer from the alien world of Robotica, who crash-landed on Earth.
2002 Era
Styx was featured in the Masters of the Universe cartoon series in 2002. In the new cartoon, they were introduced in the episode "Mr. Roboto's Gambit," in which they battled against a simple, chess-playing robot. Desiring to apply their chess skills to good use, each member of the band took turns battling the robot.
A notable point about Styx in the episode is that their portrayal, as well as their voices, seemed to differ between commercials. Thus, it is argued by critics that the cameo appearance was not even the band at all!
Former Members
Current Members
Discography
- The Band of Miracles (1973)
- Kilroy Wasn't Here (1983)
- CycloStupid (1999)
