Asia releases new album

Asia are back with a new album and that may be a surprise to people who didn't know Asia are still together.

Keyboardist Geoff Downes is the only original member still in the group. Singer John Payne says people ask him when the next album will come out, not knowing they've put out eight albums since the early 1980's. Their latest album is called "Silent Nation," and Downes says it's reminiscent of their first album, "Asia."

For years, Asia albums all had otherworldly artwork on the cover and the titles began and ended with an "A," like "Alpha" and "Astra." Not this time. Payne says they didn't want to become "comedic or Spinal Tap" by putting "a one-legged winged squirrel or something in this futuristic landscape."

Downes says they couldn't come up with another word that began and ended in "A" that summed up the album. "Silent Nation" is in stores now.