7 Deadly Zens

In a sense, it's not fair to pigeonhole Shaw as just theguitarist/vocalist for Styx. He's also played with Ted Nugent inDamn Yankees, a band that definitely had its own unique voice.

7 Deadly Zens
Provided By:The Daily Vault

7 Deadly Zens
Tommy Shaw
CMC International Records, 1998
REVIEW BY: Christopher Thelen
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED: 02/05/1999
Question: How does a member of Styx make a solo album thatdoesn't sound like a Styx record?
It's a tough job, that's for sure. Tommy Shaw has been down thisroad before, with What If (Pop quiz: anyone remember what film the title trackwas used in? E-mail me withthe answer.) and Girls With Guns - two albums I admittedly don't own. But onhis latest disc, 7 Deadly Zens, Shaw is able to create his own unique voiceby almost purposely staying away from the same songwriting formulahe's used in previous bands.
In a sense, it's not fair to pigeonhole Shaw as just theguitarist/vocalist for Styx. He's also played with Ted Nugent inDamn Yankees, a band that definitely had its own unique voice. So,it would have been easy for Shaw to fall back on old songwritinghabits and write songs in the vein of both those bands.
Ah, but he didn't do that! Instead, he decided to somehow plownew ground and create a record in a style that some might not haveexpected from him. As a result, you can't tell when guests likeNugent and fellow Damn Yankees member Jack Blades enter the mix, orwhen Styx drummer Todd Sucherman takes over on the skins.

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