Omega (2010)
1. Finger on the Trigger
2. Through My Veins
3. Holy Wars
4. Ever Yours
5. Listen Children
6. End of the World
7. Light the Way
8. Emily
9. I'm Still the Same
10.There Was a Time
11.I Believe
12.I Don't Wanna Lose You
In the rock world, the term “supergroup” often carries with it a brief and bright trajectory: a spectacular debut, swift internal conflicts, and then a slow drift into irrelevance punctuated by sporadic tours and compilation albums. Rarely does such a group release more than one new studio album following a reunion. The economics of aging stardom—high recording costs, modest demand, and an increasingly fragmented audience—tend to discourage such efforts. That Asia, having reconvened their classic lineup, would defy this trend with a second studio album in just two years is notable. That the result—Omega—would prove to be their most accomplished work since their debut is nothing short of astonishing.
Released in 2010, Omega reunites John Wetton, Geoff Downes, Steve Howe, and Carl Palmer for what is arguably their most coherent and consistent post-1982 statement. If Phoenix was the sound of a band rediscovering itself, Omega is the sound of that band remembering what made it matter in the first place. From its opening tracks to its final flourishes, the album evokes the same grandiosity, melodic clarity, and compositional precision that defined their early success.
The material here largely eschews experimentation—thankfully. Attempts to modernize or "expand" Asia’s sound in the past often led to forgettable detours. Instead, Omega embraces its lineage. There is no mistaking this for anything but Asia: sweeping synths, galloping rhythms, and Wetton’s commanding voice delivering lyrics that straddle the line between the cosmic and the sentimental.
There are missteps, to be sure. The mid-album tracks Light the Way and Emily flirt with mediocrity—lacking the momentum and melodic heft of their surrounding counterparts. The latter, in particular, has the dubious distinction of appearing as a “bonus track” on some versions of the album, a status it seems to have earned. But these are exceptions. The remainder of the record—particularly tracks such as Finger on the Trigger, Holy War, and There Was a Time—delivers a balance of energy and atmosphere that feels both familiar and freshly executed.
Thematically, Omega explores lofty ideas—divine intervention, spiritual yearning, the passage of time—with more sincerity than subtlety. There is a sense of reflection in these songs, a maturity of perspective that sits comfortably alongside the band’s signature bombast. And while Asia was never revered for lyrical finesse, there is something endearing about their unabashed embrace of the grandiose.
Notably, the majority of the songwriting is again helmed by the Wetton/Downes partnership—the same nucleus responsible for the band’s early triumphs. Their collaboration here is as vital as it has ever been. When Asia succeeds, it is often because of the dynamic interplay between Downes’ cinematic arrangements and Wetton’s melodic instincts. On Omega, that chemistry is intact and in command.
Clocking in at just under an hour, the album risks overstaying its welcome, but unlike Phoenix, it contains remarkably little filler. If anything, the abundance of material makes a compelling argument that the creative well had not yet run dry. One might even speculate that had Omega followed directly on the heels of Alpha, Asia’s trajectory could have been markedly different.
In sum, Omega is not simply a reunion record or an exercise in nostalgia—it is a genuinely engaging collection of music that reaffirms Asia’s relevance in a world that had largely moved on. For longtime fans, it is essential listening. For lapsed ones, it may serve as a reminder of why the band once mattered—and why, for a moment again, they still do.
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