"Silent Nation" is the ninth studio album by British rock band Asia, released in 2004. It marks the final album featuring longtime vocalist and bassist John Payne before the band's reunion with the original lineup in 2006.
Silent Nation was recorded at Clear Lake Audio in North Hollywood, Los Angeles, and was produced, engineered, and mixed solely by John Payne. The album features a stable lineup of Payne, keyboard player Geoff Downes, guitarist Guthrie Govan, and drummer Chris Slade, which had been established during the sessions for Aura (2001). Early writing sessions involved guitarist Billy Sherwood and drummer Jay Schellen. Two songs co-written by Sherwood, "Ghost in the Mirror" and "I Will Be There for You," were included on the final album.
The album's early track listings initially included titles like "Darkness Day" and "The Prophet," which were later renamed to "The Sun Don't Shine" and "Sail Away," respectively. An early track titled "Long and Lonely Ride" was also mentioned but not completed in time. Payne served as the main lyricist for Silent Nation, with lyrics focusing on themes of power centralization and its impact on the general public.
Silent Nation broke the tradition of naming Asia's studio albums with titles that begin and end with the letter 'a,' a pattern seen in previous releases. The album also marked a departure from the band's usual practice of using illustrations for album covers, opting instead for a photograph.
