ALPHA

All hail the lords of high cheese! Here, on their second outing, Asia cranks up the commerciality a couple of notches and further alienates the bulk of the prog rock fans. Well done boys, you completely sold your souls to the corporate rock devils.

That said, I still have an affinity for this sort of arena fromage because I grew up in its heydey of the eighties. I was just discovering Gabriel-era Genesis, Marillion, Floyd and Yes so to me, at the tender age of thirteen, Asia spoke to me (in soulless but highly catchy tongues). I loved the first album and sort of dug this second one. Now, after reassesing "Alpha" some 22 years later I find it pretty laughable and yet somehow listenable. I guess it takes me back to more innocent days.

I'd never seriously recommend this album to anyone but if you crave a blast of pure, undilluted eighties arena "rock", this album couldn't be more exemplary of the genre. To wash out the sacrine aftertaste, I'll just indulge in some Norwegian progmetal known as Enslaved.