ASIA – Aria [Japanese Bluspec CD remastered +2]

320 /// HQ

As requested, here’s ASIA 1994’s “Aria“, a great overlooked album with many memorable moments and well worth revisiting. I haven’t listened to this disc in a while, and I’m glad I pulled it out for this review.
After John Wetton’s departure, vocalist / bassist John Payne joined the band and, together with keyboardist Geoff Downes, enlisted new musicians and led Asia through to 2006. The first album with this line up was the strong ‘Aqua’, released in June 1992. In addition to Downes and Payne, the album featured original members Steve Howe & Carl Palmer, and awesome guitarist Al Pitrelli (of Danger Danger, Megadeth and Alice Cooper).
For this next album “Aria”, the only guitarist was Pitrelli, and you can hear that. The big difference between the two LP’s is that Aqua was still trying to please prog fans, while ”Aria” is a bombastic melodic hard rock album, an unabashedly over-the-top guitar / keyboard driven rock that wrings every ounce of drama from each song.
Yeah, it may not be the band that floored us in 1982, but there’s no denying that, on a sonic scale, the results on ”Aria” are impressive. These are songs of love and war played out on a grand stage by talented actors. Had this music been released in 1985, Asia might have led a new breed of hair metal / melodic rock champions.
This Japanese remastered reissue of “Aria” on Blu-spec CD includes two bonus tracks, and comes on a mini-LP paper sleeve LP replica.

While by 1994 much of the Rock music world was engulfed in a love affair with grunge, but Asia didn’t care, still betting for melodic songs. And that’s especially thanks to John Payne who was the voice (and bass) of Asia for 15 years – and you would be missing out on some great music if you just stuck to the “classic” Asia line-up.
Here on “Aria” we find some great tunes on offer with catchy choruses and majestic melodies. ”Anytime”, “Feels Like Love,” “Military Man”, “Desire”, ”Are You Big Enough” are remarkably and consistently catchy well written songs, way above your average melodic hard rock. Al Pitrelli guitar work kills, and one wonders why this guy didn’t recorded more all over his career.
Asia has always been a melodramatic act, but the nadir of their art was them spewing out other peoples’ lines (e.g., “Days Like These”). In many ways, ”Aria” finds them sticking to their principles, even if the principal agents have largely changed.

Some may say “Aria” isn’t Asia but Payne / Downes with guest musicians – whichever the case, this is very good melodic hard rock record from start to finish.
Highly Recommended

01 – Anytime
02 – Are You Big Enough
03 – Desire
04 – Summer
05 – Sad Situation
06 – Don’t Cut The Wire
07 – Feels Like Love
08 – Rememberance day
09 – Enough’s Enough
10 – Military Man
11 – Aria
BONUS TRACKS:
12 – Reality
13 – Military Man (Acoustic)

Lead and Backing Vocals, Bass, Guitar – John Payne
Keyboards – Geoff Downes
Drums – Michael Sturgis
Guitar – Al Pitrelli

out of print