In 1981 the British progressive rock supergroup ASIA was born. Featuring one of the best voices in rock music of any kind, John Wetton (King Crimson, Uriah Heep, UK & others ) along with Steve Howe and Geoff Downes (Yes), and Carl Palmer (Emerson Lake & Palmer). 
Whereas some fans of the movement may have considered their music closer to the arena rock sound of bands like Journey and Styx, here in the states their debut sold over 4 million copies. In 1982 it was named the #1 album of the year by Billboard and Cashbox. 
Though they would never reach those dizzying heights again they continued to record, tour and change personnel. Fast forward to 2014. ASIA released by what is my count, their 7th studio album, Gravitas. This marked the official retirement of Steve Howe from the reunited original line-up of the band and the introduction of new guitarist Sam Coulson who was basically discovered on YouTube. There are 2 cuts on this release I would to like to highlight. The first being the lead track, Valkyrie. It opens with an a cappella intro followed by a subtle bow of a cello that is as much a part of the chorus as the vocals themselves. Wetton’s voice sounds as strong as ever. The track chugs along teamed with the understated keyboards of Geoff Downes. And finally toward the end of the song we’re introduced to the lead guitar work of new guitarist, Sam Coulson. ASIA has released a video for the lead track that I’ve included here. Now the video doesn’t break any new ground but does include some beautiful time-lapse cinematography of clouds interspersed with shots of band members. In a sense the video is much like the genre of progressive music itself, created for the ears and not necessarily the eyes!
The second cut I would like to comment on is Nyctophobia. For those of you trying to figure out “what kind of phobia is that?” It’s the extreme or irrational fear of the night of darkness. Now that we’ve got that established let me riff on the track itself! It features the familiar warmth of John Wetton’s vocals with some tasty lead guitar work by new member Sam Coulson. What you get on this track is “comfortable as your favorite chair” progressive rock ASIA style. The title and subsequent chorus are repeated enough times that’s it’s sure to stick in your head.
So if you were ever a fan of ASIA, and maybe you didn’t want to admit it, their latest release Gravitas follows the formula. After over 30 years of recording for a band to still be true to their signature sound, in the humble opinion of this blogger they deserve an audience. With this latest release you won’t be disappointed.
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