Asia-Silent Nation (2004)

By 2004, Asia had released seven magnificent albums that had navigated between progressive rock, AOR, and classic melodic hard rock since their debut back in 1982. Throughout those years, the British band had undergone countless lineup changes, from the original and iconic lineup of Wetton, Howe, Downes, and Palmer, to the most recent one, consisting of Downes himself, John Payne, Chris Slade, and Guthrie Govan. Furthermore, they had been joined by highly prestigious musicians such as Pat Thrall, Elliott Randall, Al Pitrelli, and Mandy Meyer, among others. Therefore, at this point, they had nothing left to prove, crafting albums free from any media or record label pressure, independent of the trends and styles that had paraded before them over the years. On "Silent Nation", the band's eighth album, the lineup remained the same as on their previous album, "Aura", released four years earlier: Govan, Downes, Payne, and Slade. However, stylistically, they took a sharp turn, somewhat harking back to their progressive roots and partially abandoning melodic rock. This is undoubtedly their darkest work, sharing the epic spirit of their earlier albums with the exception of a few tracks. It's a concept album about the Earth's decline at the hands of humankind, with recurring themes such as environmental pollution and the growing distance between people. Progressive tracks like the hard rock anthem "What About Love", the monumental "Silent Nation", the superb "Gone Too Far", and the dark "Darkness Day" are tangible examples of their nascent sound. On the other hand, the more accessible and catchy tracks "Ghost in the Mirror", "Midnight", and "Long Way From Home" provide the perfect counterpoint to the seriousness and complexity of the previous songs. Four years later, the original lineup reunited to record and release the splendid "Phoenix", which was followed by the admirable "Omega" (2010) and "XXX" (2012).