PHOENIX

When I first heard about the possible reunion of the original lineup it didn't feel all that great. The reason for that was had to do with the scheduled performance of the John Payne-lineup at Sweden Rock 2006 that suddenly had to be canceled once the original lineup officially made their reunion announcement. This is why it surely feels good to know that Phoenix managed to more than made up for that temporary disappointment!

Now that I've already exposed my hand I might just as well tell you what it is that makes this album so great. First off, it's the original Asia but that fact only works as a minor novelty unless there is more here. The biggest surprise here is that they actually sound exactly like the band I heard on their 1982-debut album! Phoenix sounds just like if the band's four members had stepped into a time machine and delivered another album in the '80s. The material is just flawless for an Arena Rock band and it was really surprising how the band managed to maintain such a high songwriting quality all throughout the album.

I might just as well go further and state that this is Asia's best album to date. I guess that the golden rule for a comeback album is to keep doing what you do best or in this case did best 25 years ago!

**** star songs: Never Again (4:55) Nothing's Forever (5:46) Heroine (4:53) Sleeping Giant/No Way Back/Reprise (8:10) Alibis (5:40) I Will Remember You (5:11) Shadow Of A Doubt (4:18) Parallel Worlds/Vortex/Deya (8:12) Orchard Of Mines (5:11) Over And Over (3:33) An Extraordinary Life (4:56)

*** star songs: Wish I'd Known All Along (4:07)