OMEGA

Oh sorry, guys!! But once again (after "Phoenix")- also regarding of their worst album-cover ever (Roger Dean, where have you been recently?), They perform some normal and quite poppy songs here (whose length is about 5 minutes and each one having got the same mood tune by tune, as long as it's not concluded...), which is not so good after all!! I understand their business strategy, I know it's necessary for them to survive in the modern music market of nowadays, but the other songs (perhaps with the exception of "Holy War"), are useful within a John Wetton solo album (with all my respect for an album like "Arkangel" or "Battle lines", just to mention a couple among the other solo works), but it doesn't reflect the job of a superband...each member with his own important talent should be worth in producing something different (do you remember their remarkable return on stage? Well probably it's the unique album regarding their new era- entitled "Fantasia"- which is well worth checking out...) .

C. Palmer and Steve Howe instead would have been more involved in the instrumental passages, if the songs were more technical and a little bit "symphonic"; but of course, talking about the present work (even though "Omega" should be the antipode of "Alpha" and- unlike this latter anyway inferior than their debut album- it's often easy), it doesn't implicate automatically that it can't contain a few features of prog music inside!! Nevertheless I recognize their new attempt: that is They try to avoid some stupid compromises, like within a few commercial hit ballads in general, and moreover (even though G. Downes is fond of the analogical and old synthesizers, producing an old and "dated" sound) this latter keyboard- player is always able to play according to his own melodic liking...which is perfectly "coupled" with the mood of the leader J. Wetton, who unfortunately has almost ignored the skill regarding the other two veterans (once upon a time one of the best drummers within the prog scene along with one of the most talented guitarists, sharing the same scene for many years). If you are completely into the prog world you'll give this "Omega" one star in the evalution; otherwise, judged as a poppy album, the present work is quite good...I'm happy to see them live on stage anyway, but please don't let me judge their studio albums anymore!!