ASTRA

After "Alpha" Steve Howe has been fired of Asia ( or quit the band, it depends of the version) . And in definitive it's a good news .... Mandy Meyer isn't a guitar's genious but he plays what is necessary to this kind of music : good riffs, good solos. John wetton seems to refind a little bit of the enthusiasm of the first album. Geoff Downes makes a good job and offers little proggy touch to the music. Carl Palmer, as always with Asia, don't give ten per cent of his talent, but it's enough for this mix of AOR and prog.

3 stars : good ( for Art Rock ), but non-essential.