“Love Is the Ritual” is a gritty, hard-hitting 1990 hard-rock and pop-metal track that represented a major, surprising stylistic shift for Styx at the start of the decade. Written and led by guitarist Glen Burtnik rather than Dennis DeYoung, the song completely throws away the band’s signature progressive rock synthesizers in favor of a raw, driving guitar riff, a heavy funk-rock bassline, and a pounding drum groove. The production aligns perfectly with the tough, street-level arena rock and glam-metal trends of the late-80s and early-90s.