Editing Asia (band) (section)

===2013–2017: Howe's retirement, ''Gravitas'' and hiatus===
On 10 January 2013, Steve Howe announced his retirement from the band to focus on other projects,<ref>{{cite news| url= http://www.3news.co.nz/Steve-Howe-quits-Asia/tabid/418/articleID/282926/Default.aspx|work=3 News NZ |title= Steve Howe quits Asia| date=14 January 2013}}</ref> including Yes, bringing an end to the reunion of the original lineup. Asia in turn announced they would be continuing with new guitarist [[Sam Coulson]], with a new album in the works entitled ''[[Gravitas (Asia album)|Gravitas]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.progrockmag.com/news/steve-howe-quits-asia/ |title=Steve Howe Quits Asia &#124; News &#124; Prog Magazine |website=Progrockmag.com |access-date=21 February 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130213024444/http://www.progrockmag.com/news/steve-howe-quits-asia/ |archive-date=13 February 2013 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.progrockmag.com/news/asia-reveal-steve-howes-replacement/ |title=Asia Reveal Steve Howe's Replacement &#124; News &#124; Prog Magazine |website=Progrockmag.com |access-date=21 February 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130213025222/http://www.progrockmag.com/news/asia-reveal-steve-howes-replacement/ |archive-date=13 February 2013 }}</ref><ref name="The Official Asia Web Site">{{cite web|url=http://originalasia.com/?p=640 |title=The Official Asia Web Site |website=Originalasia.com |date=10 January 2013 |access-date=21 February 2013}}</ref> The new lineup performed live in 2013.<ref name="originalasia.com"/>

On the website ultimateclassicrock.com, Howe explained his decision to leave Asia:

{{blockquote|Something had to give. Because I'd just done five years with both bands and then Geoff had joined [Yes] when we did ''Fly From Here'', which is maybe a lot shorter, only a quarter of that time for him. He only experienced the tip of the iceberg of being on call for two bands. But there were times in the first three years — it actually got easier when Geoff joined. It was easier because we were both in the band and we could both wrestle with the schedules — but before that, at times, Yes or Asia would extend a tour by a day and then Yes or Asia would then expand the start of the tour, so the gap would start to close.

And I would start freaking out saying "yeah, but hang on&nbsp;... if you add that date here and they've just added this date here, I'm now squeezed like a concertina." So there was going to be a time at some point when this was unworkable and unfortunately it was the end of last year that made me realize that this being on call was really too much. I couldn't keep either really happy. I was either making Yes miserable or Asia miserable, because of the other one being in existence.

So I think that Asia had a terrific run and we made three great albums. In fact, ''XXX'', I think, is a fantastic record.|Steve Howe}}

The band finished the recording sessions for ''Gravitas'' in December 2013<ref>[http://originalasia.com/new-album-complete/ New Album Complete], originalasia.com, Retrieved 3 February 2014</ref> and in January 2014 they started shooting the music video for "Valkyrie", which was released as a single. The album's cover artwork was designed by Asia longtime collaborator [[Roger Dean (artist)|Roger Dean]]. On 30 January 2014, Wetton revealed the album's track listing through Asia's official website and talked about each song from the album.<ref>[http://originalasia.com/gravitas-blow-by-blow-2/ Gravitas Blow by Blow], originalasia.com, Retrieved 3 February 2014</ref> The album was released on 24 March 2014<ref>[http://musicenthusiastmag.com/asia-gravitas/ Asia Reveal Cover Artwork for New Studio Album, 'Gravitas'], musicenthusiastmag.com, Retrieved 3 February 2014</ref> and reached Number 1 in the Progressive Rock Chart for emusic on 27 March.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://inagist.com/all/449137673962528768/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140407073654/http://inagist.com/all/449137673962528768/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=7 April 2014 |title=Gravitas is #1 in the Progressive Rock Chart for emusic. #Gravitas : originalasia |website=Inagist.com |date=27 March 2014 |access-date=24 April 2014 }}</ref>

Following ''Gravitas'' and the subsequent tour, the band went on an almost three-year hiatus due to Wetton having cancer and undergoing [[chemotherapy]].<ref name="The Official Asia Web Site"/><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.kshe95.com/news/real-rock-news/asias-john-wetton-undergoes-cancer-surgery |title=Asia's John Wetton undergoes cancer surgery |website=Kshe95.com |date=27 May 2015 |access-date=27 August 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180105124620/http://www.kshe95.com/news/real-rock-news/asias-john-wetton-undergoes-cancer-surgery |archive-date=5 January 2018 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title = John Wetton issues cancer warning|url = http://www.teamrock.com/news/2015-08-25/john-wetton-issues-cancer-warning|website = TeamRock|date = 25 August 2015|access-date = 21 January 2016|first = Martin|last = Kielty}}</ref> On 5 December 2016, Asia announced a US tour opening for American rock band [[Journey (band)|Journey]], beginning with twelve dates from 15 March 2017 at the [[Yakima Valley Sundome]] in [[Yakima, Washington]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://originalasia.com/journey-asia-2017-tour-dates/ |title=Journey & Asia 2017 Tour Dates|website=Originalasia.com |date=5 December 2015 |access-date=12 December 2016 }}</ref> and four days later, announced their live album ''Symfonia: Live in Bulgaria 2013'', which they performed with the [[Plovdiv Philharmonic Orchestra]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://originalasia.com/symfonia-live-in-bulgaria-2013/ |title=Symfonia – Live In Bulgaria 2013|website=Originalasia.com |date=9 December 2015 |access-date=12 December 2016 }}</ref>