OMEGA

I bought this album waiting for some improvement from their previous stuff, but I was dissapointed. Can I wait something different from Asia in the future? Sincerely I think that this guys will continue doing the same the rest of their lifes: Pop or AOR rock, and no more than this. All those musicians together doing this music? Just a waste.

The music is not bad and something is really good, but has a problem:

Howe participates in the songwriting of only two songs and the rest is pure Wetton Downes. All in all is vocally driven, and Wetton can't stop singing all the time. There is no room for some instrumentation. So which is the rol of Downes and Howe? And what about Palmer? just a sessionst.

The album opens with Finger on a trigger, originally a song from Icon (Wetton Downes project), but now filtered by the Howe's guitar, so this new version is far better. The riffs are fantastic and construct a truly Arena Rock Track (very good but nothing prog).

After that, we have, in my opinion, three songs in which I can find a little dosis of progrock (just a little): Light the way, composed by Howe and Wetton, is the proggiest one. Holy war and Listen Children are the others two. In those three ones you can find some little instrumentals.

Through my veins, End of the world and I believe are good AOR track in the typical way of Asia. Nothing special. I'm still the same and There was a time is pretty much the same but a bit inferior for me.

Emily, Even yours and I don't wanna lose you now, are poor ballads, and they are the weakest side of the album.

Good but not essential. 3 stars.