Styx (1973) Krakatoa

The famous track from The Serpent is Rising album, starting with a sinister monologue from DeYoung with wailing synth backing, his voice treated with a filter sounds harsh and deranged like an old soothsayer casting a spell on an evil doer. But of course this track Krakatoa allows the droning gurgly synth to drive up in volume, intensity and spatially into a mind altering experience. No wonder this phenomenal and ear shattering audio effect was used as a motif and calling card for George Lucas's THX as it is simply the greatest example of spatial audio and would go onto influence a ton of DJs. The fact it finishes with a swift, lean rendition of Handel's Hallelujah Chorus, showing off their classical grounding in their early days as well as still awe inspiring vocals straight after a such a spellbinding studio flourish proved Styx and the chops and the creativity in the studio and live.