Negative Positive
Title: Thought it couldn't get worse? Guess again
Review: This album reminds me of the maxim "Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me." Having seen the radical departure the band took with its 1992 release, Aqua (featuring a new lead singer, drummer and guitarist), I wasn't quite sure what to expect from Aria. Hugely disappointed in Aqua, I guess I hoped Geoff would return more to the sound that made the original Asia so popular - soaring guitar and keyboards, precision percussion, thundering bass, and powerful vocals. Well, the soaring keyboards are still there, but that's about it. The songwriting is still lacking, and vocalist John Payne still plays the poseur more than the performer. Were it not for the band's name, most people wouldn't give Aria a second thought. Unfortunately for the band, those who do give it a listen probably won't give it a second thought, either.
Is the review positive or negative? 