Metal Perspective (4.5/5)

Thirty years on from their multi-million selling debut; the original four members of Asia have proved that the blueprint that made the band so popular all those years ago can still sound amazingly relevant now. Is, as some are suggesting, ‘XXX’ the best thing that Asia have created? For me, not quite. However when you consider just how good the ‘Asia’ album was, and still is, the fact that ‘XXX’ runs it so close, is still a huge recommendation.

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Pure Rawk (Essential)

Asia’s fans will lap this up, and I dare say there are a great many who after listening to this, will discover Asia for the first time, and they’ll love it just the same. It has mass appeal, and if there’s any justice in the world, it will sell by the bucket load. If you like the lighter side of rock, then give this album a listen, to hear exactly how things were done 30 years ago. I’m probably gushing, but I’m not ashamed of being a fanboy, it just means I have exquisite taste….. This album is one of my essential albums for 2012, you simply shouldn’t miss out on it.

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Steve Grantham (9/10)

One of the most successful ‘supergroups’ of the 1980s, Asia managed to combine progressive-rock with AOR (album-oriented rock) into a multimillion-selling titan. With their chorus-heavy, hook-laden songs, they might not have pleased the critics but the fans lapped it up. Given the composition of the band, personnel changes were inevitable and this diluted the impact over the years. However, the original band managed to find time to record together and have produced this extremely fine album that harks back to their first LP while remaining a contemporary sound. There will always be a market for such music as presented here, even if the music press ignore it. Asia will definitely please their existing fans with this release and may even gain some new ones.

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Rockeyez (5-star)

ASIA will always be known for the their self-titled debut release back in 1982 with “Heat of The Moment”, that album reaching #1 on the Billboard charts and following that other releases that secured the band as one of the first real super groups. Thirty years later in 2012 with their 15th release ASIA is back with XXX.

The new album, which is being hailed as ASIA’s best album since its classic early 80s releases, will be released as a CD and special collector’s edition CD/DVD (featuring new music videos (including one for first single “Face On The Bridge” and behind the scenes footage). But can the new disc measure up to the great past of the band history?

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