Omega (Asia album)
| Omega | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
_front_cover.jpg) | ||||
| Studio album by Asia | ||||
| Released | 23 April 2010 | |||
| Recorded | October 2009 – February 2010 | |||
| Studio | Liscombe Park Studios, UK | |||
| Genre | Progressive rock | |||
| Length | 56:38 [note 1] | |||
| Label | Frontiers | |||
| Producer | Mike Paxman | |||
| Asia chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |    [1] |
| Lords of Metal | 92/100[2] |
Omega is the twelfth studio album by British progressive rock band Asia, released in Europe on 23 April 2010 by Frontiers Records.[3] It is the second to feature all four original members (Geoff Downes, Steve Howe, Carl Palmer and John Wetton) after the reunion in 2006.
"Finger on the Trigger" was previously recorded by Wetton and Downes's side band Icon for their second studio album.
Title meaning and cover artwork
John Wetton explained the album title: "The title 'Omega', as any fan of the band will tell you, is 'very Asia' (as is the album, by the way). It no more means 'final' than 'Alpha' means 'the first' (which it wasn't). It's a great sounding/looking word, and a bookend to 'Alpha'. In many ways, musically and conceptually, the two albums share commonality".[3]
As with many of Asia's releases, the cover artwork was created by Roger Dean. The white tiger on the front cover indicates that 2010 is the Year of the Tiger in the Chinese calendar.[3]
Critical reception
Bret Adams of Allmusic, in a three-and-a-half-star review, concluded that "Phoenix has better songs overall than Omega – probably due to the initial excitement and creative surge spawned by the reunion – but Omega satisfies, and longtime fans will enjoy it", and called the album "Asia being Asia".[1]
Omega was named as the seventh-best album of 2010 by Classic Rock Presents... Prog magazine.[4]
Track listing
All tracks written by John Wetton and Geoff Downes except when noted.
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Finger on the Trigger" | 04:30 |
| 2. | "Through My Veins" (Steve Howe, Wetton) | 05:08 |
| 3. | "Holy War" | 05:59 |
| 4. | "Ever Yours" | 04:04 |
| 5. | "Listen, Children" | 05:56 |
| 6. | "End of the World" | 05:39 |
| 7. | "Light the Way" (Howe, Wetton) | 05:09 |
| 8. | "Emily" (Digipak 1st pressing bonus track) | 05:12 |
| 9. | "I'm Still the Same" | 04:43 |
| 10. | "There Was a Time" | 05:58 |
| 11. | "I Believe" | 04:42 |
| 12. | "Don't Wanna Lose You Now" | 04:45 |
- All songs published by Willow Songs except "Light the Way", and "Through My Veins" (Bug Music/Willow Songs)
Credits
Asia
|
Production
|
Charts
| Chart (2010) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| French Albums (SNEP)[5] | 158 |
| German Albums (Media Control)[6] | 56 |
| Japanese Albums (Oricon)[7] | 29 |
| Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[8] | 47 |
| Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[9] | 55 |
| UK Albums (OCC)[10] | 135 |
Notes
- ↑ The length is indicated for the regular 11-tracks edition (without tracks "Emily" and "Drop a Stone").
References
- 1 2 Adams, Bret. "Omega review". Allmusic.
- ↑ Winston Arntz. "Omega review". Lords of Metal ezine.
- 1 2 3 "Omega's page on the Frontiers Records official website". Frontiers Records.
- ↑ Classic Rock Presents... Prog (13). January 2011. Missing or empty
|title=(help) - ↑ "lescharts.com – Asia – Omega". SNEP.
- ↑ "charts.de – Asia – Omega". Media Control.
- ↑ "oricon.co.jp – Asia – Omega". Oricon.
- ↑ "swedishcharts.com – Asia – Omega". Sverigetopplistan.
- ↑ "hitparade.ch – Asia – Omega". Schweizer Hitparade.
- ↑ "Asia chart positions in the UK". Official Charts Company.
External links
| Studio albums | |
|---|---|
| Live albums | |
| EPs | |
| Compilations | |
| Singles | |
| Related articles | |
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