Gravitas (2014)
1. Valkyrie
2. Gravitas
3. The Closer I Get To You
4. Nyctophobia
5. Russian Dolls
6. Heaven Help Me now
7. I Would Die For You
8. Joe Dimaggio's Glove
9. 'Til We Meet Again
By the time Gravitas appeared in 2014, the reunion of Asia’s original lineup—once a pleasant surprise in the landscape of classic rock revivals—had quietly unraveled. Guitarist Steve Howe had once again exited, this time for reasons not entirely clarified. While his commitments to Yes were longstanding, keyboardist Geoff Downes also split his time between the two bands, suggesting a more complex disengagement. In truth, few outside the inner circle seemed to notice, or indeed, to care.
Asia’s 21st-century studio output—Phoenix (2008), Omega (2010), and XXX (2012)—had varied in quality but never in reception. Even at their best, these albums were received more with polite nostalgia than with fervent acclaim. Gravitas arrives, then, not with anticipation, but with a sense of inevitability—a final gesture from a group nearing the limits of its endurance.
The absence of Howe is keenly felt. His replacement, the young and technically gifted Sam Coulson, is competent but anonymous. He does not attempt to emulate Howe’s ornate, lyrical style, and the album is poorer for it. Where earlier Asia records—particularly the debut—were marked by a sense of melodic grandeur, Gravitas is flat, subdued, and at times, painfully monotonous.
The opening track, Valkyrie, is a prime example. Stretched to nearly seven minutes, it revolves around a single-word chorus repeated to such excess that any initial dramatic intent collapses under the weight of sheer tedium. Even the title becomes grating through overuse. Similarly, Nyctophobia—a track that might have piqued curiosity through its obscure subject matter—suffers from the same indulgence. Its hook is memorable, yes, but for all the wrong reasons. It lodges itself in the mind like an unwelcome jingle, and offers little else.
And yet, not all is lost. The title track, Gravitas, succeeds where many others fail, balancing atmosphere and melody with a degree of restraint. Likewise, Heaven Help Me Now—a medley of sorts—offers glimpses of the band’s past strengths, blending lyrical pathos with Downes’ rich keyboard textures and Wetton’s still-resonant voice. These moments, however, are fleeting.
The larger issue with Gravitas is not simply the decline in songwriting, but the growing sense that the band itself no longer believed in its mission. There is little urgency, little joy. The extended compositions, once Asia’s hallmark, now feel obligatory—written to fulfill expectations rather than to explore new terrain. The passion has dimmed, and what remains is a professional, but weary, act of continuity.
In retrospect, one is reminded of fan-made efforts to salvage flawed cinematic trilogies by trimming them into a singular, cohesive experience. Asia might have benefited from such an editorial hand. Across the four post-reunion albums, there are perhaps enough high points to assemble one truly satisfying record. Gravitas, regrettably, contributes too few of them.
As a final studio offering with John Wetton—who would sadly pass away in 2017—Gravitas carries a certain historical weight. But as an artistic statement, it feels like the closing of a chapter best remembered for what once was, rather than what remained.
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