TRIUMPH

1. Spellbound: This is pretty much what the "classic/hard rock" sound of Triumph is. Gil Moore takes vocals and is ok in the sense that he fits the mold of pretty good classic rock singer who at the same time is kind of annoying. The song is somewhat catchy, but it's not prog. Overall rating: 6/10. Prog Rating: 2.5/10.

2. Rock Out, Roll On: This song has more of a dark feel to it, which I guess I subconsciously associate with being "proggy." But it's not really a very proggy song I guess. The chorus is straight out of "arena rock." But that said, I really, really like this song. The main riff is great and the vocals rock as well. The chorus is great, even if it does have an "arena" feel. Overall rating: 9/10. Prog Rating: 5/10.

3. Cooldown: Another journey into the realms of "classic/hard rock." The intro has a cool little blues/southern flair to it, and overall this has a solid beginning. Then the intro fades out and the main riff fades in, which is maybe a 4 or 5 out of 10 for quality and probably a 1/10 for uniqueness. Very generic song overall. It's enjoyable sure if you're in the "classic/hard rock" mood, but it's certainly only an average song in that regard and is nothing in regards to prog. Overall rating: 5/10. Prog Rating: 1/10.

4. Follow Your Heart: Ahhhh, the typical "let's go conquer the world with smiles!" Triumph song. Highly motivational I guess, but certainly not proggy. Very catchy though. I personally really like this song. Not prog though. Overall rating: 8.5/10. Prog Rating: 3/10.

5. Time Goes By: More of the same theme: Pretty good song with a "classic/hard rock" feel, but not all that proggy. This is maybe the most proggy song so far though. Anyways, very good song overall. Overall rating: 8.5/10. Prog Rating: 5/10.

6. Midsummer's Daydream: Beautiful classical guitar piece. I guess I'll consider this proggy. Overall rating: 9/10. Prog Rating: 9/10.

7. Time Canon: Interesting little interlude. Impressive vocally in my opinion, but others may compare to shrieking. It's all in your personal taste I guess. Overall rating: 7/10. Prog Rating: 5/10.

8. Killing Time: More "classic/hard rock" here, but there is at least some connectivity in terms of melodies with the previous "Time Canon." I guess that gets Prog Points. This album has now accumulated about 4 Prog Points, for whatever that's worth. Good song overall. Overall rating: 8.5/10. Prog Rating: 5/10.

9. Stranger In A Strange Land: A dark piece with a bluesy flair to it. I consider this song proggy. Feel free to sue me. Probably the best track on the album. Overall rating: 9.5/10. Prog Rating: 8/10.

10. Little Boy Blues: Kind of a jam session. It has a kind of Pink Floyd feel in my opinion, speaking as someone who has heard very little Pink Floyd in my time. Anyways, solid song but I'm not a huge "jam session instrumental" guy. Overall rating: 7/10. Prog Rating: 7/10.

Overall, this is a good, borderline-great album in my opinion. I would say it's probably Triumph's best album, and it's undoubtedly the one that would be most accessible to Prog-heads. And if the other reviews on here are any indicator, it's not all that accessible to Prog-heads I guess. But personally, I really enjoy this album. Not proggy, but very enjoyable. Hence, I will only be giving it a 2-star rating since this is indeed Prog Archives, but honestly I would rate this album at about an 8/10 or maybe even higher. If you're a Prog die-hard, don't bother. But if you're looking for some great "classic/hard rock" that has a bit more to it than your average "classic/hard rock" music, give this a try.

In my review of Triumph's self-titled debut album I tried to sort out some of the confusion concerning all the different versions of that and the present album in existence. As I said there, some versions of the debut album features some tracks from this second album mixed in with some of those from the first. Some versions of that "mixed" album are called In The Beginning and yet others are called Rock 'N' Roll Machine (that's right, the same title as the present album but with only partial overlap in terms of tracks!). The point of compiling tracks from the first two albums like this was probably to make songs from the debut album more widely available outside the band's native Canada. From a Prog point of view this was something of a lost opportunity, however, as some of the more progressive tracks from Triumph's first two albums were left off it. Had they put both Blinding Light Show/Moonchild from the debut as well as the three part The City from this second album on the same disc, they would have diminished any need for all but the completionists to get hold of the two original albums.

While I have had the In The Beginning album for years, I only recently searched out the two original albums as they are listed here on Prog Archives. Since I already had In The Beginning, I previously knew the songs Takes Time, Bringing It On Home, Rocky Mountain Way and Rock 'N' Roll Machine and as I commented on these songs in my review of the debut album, I will concentrate on the other tracks here. Little Texas Shaker is bluesy hard rocker that vocally reminds me of Captain Beyond's debut album (with ex-Deep Purple singer Rod Evans). But it is a rather mundane song, I'm afraid, with cheesy lyrics including the phrase "shake your money maker"! Part one of New York City Streets is a rather funky number with some Jazz influences. The female backing vocals going "down in New York" are hard to tolerate! Part two is a more conventional Triumph hard Rock number.

The centrepiece of the album, and the only good reason for the Prog fan to invest in this album, is the nine and a half minute, three part The City. While not as great and memorable as Blinding Light Show/Moonchild, this is still a great song with flashy Flamenco style guitar play and King Crimson-esque Mellotron. For those who know me, you know that I have a very soft spot for Flamenco style guitars in a Rock setting. Once again Triumph here prove to us that they can make really good progressive music when they want to. Sadly they preferred to concentrate on trite Hard Rock and Rock 'N' Roll numbers for most of their career.

As I said, only completionists need all the different versions of Triumph's first two albums. But The City makes this album worth while.

There seem to be a number of different versions of Triumph's debut album some of which include tracks from their second album. Some versions are simply called Triumph, while others are called In The Beginning and yet others Rock 'N' Roll Machine. The version I have is not identical with any album listed here but has several of the same tracks as this album. It starts with Takes Time which is a rather straightforward party hard rocker. It continues with Bringing It On Home which features acoustic verses and a hard rocking chorus and some nice riffs and solos. Rocky Mountain Way is, I think a cover song, and it is not too interesting as it is a rather straightforward Blues rocker.

Then there is the two part Street Fighter and Street Fighter (Reprise), the latter of which is an acoustic song with a strong vocal performance and the first a fast tempo Hard Rock song. The next number is the party rocker 24 Hours A Day which might have the cheesiest chorus ever created. But the verses are musically and vocally strong. And then there is the almost nine minutes long Blinding Light Show/Moonchild which alone makes this album worthwhile (regardless of which version we're talking about as long as it features this song). Triumph is not a great band and also not a progressive band, but they surely have their moments and this song is their very finest and most progressive moment. It features a very strong vocal melody, symphonic keyboards in higher quantity than on any other Triumph song, great electric and acoustic guitar parts, some choir and several changes in sound and tempo throughout. It is a truly excellent song! To think that this brilliant song would rub shoulders with such pedestrian Rock 'N' Roll numbers as 24 Hours A Day and the album closer Rock 'N' Roll Machine is hard to believe.

One thing is for sure, Triumph could make great music when they put their minds to it. They are great musicians with a certain charm to their sound. Sadly, they wanted to focus mainly on rather straightforward Rock numbers. There are certainly some less than good moments here (and that seems to be so regardless of which version you find), there are though a few good moments and one excellent song that almost make up for that, but not quite still. Therefore I will rate this with two strong stars. It is not Triumph's best album overall, but it does feature their best song. The song is highly recommended, but as album considered this is not for everybody.

After the very straightforward and generic 1979 album Just A Game - that I consider the band's weakest ever achievement - Triumph could hardly sink any lower. With Progressions Of Power the band plays it rather safe and overall they do not evolve or push many musical boundaries. 'Progressions Of Power' is thus an extremely misleading title as the band hardly progressed at all from their last album. Generic party hard rockers like I Live For The Weekend, I Can Survive and Tear The Roof Off follows the pattern of the awful American Girls from the last album.

However, there are some signs of what was to come on some later, more musically successful, albums. The Bluesy (semi-)ballad In The Night features a strong vocal performance and some tasteful acoustic guitar licks, but it is certainly not progressive in any reasonable understanding of that term. Nature's Child has a somewhat heavier sound than we are used to from Triumph and features a slightly Black Sabbath-like riff (however, Black Sabbath never made anything as trite as this not even on Technical Ecstacy or Never Say Die). The best song of this album is clearly the Spanish flavoured Fingertalkin'/Hard Road which reminds slightly of the excellent Flamenco inspired band Carmen, particularly their third album (which is the least good of Carmen's three albums).

My version of this album has a different running order compared to what is listed here, but it has the same songs. The production is not quite as it should be and the sound is slightly muddy compared to both earlier and later albums. This fact leaves me no other alternative than to give this the same rating as Just A Game even though this album is a slight improvement in musical terms. Despite one good number (Fingertalkin'/Hard Road) and a couple of decent ones, this is not really recommended unless you are a Triumph fan. Triumph never made a great album, but they sure made better albums than this!

Just A Game is possibly Triumph's least interesting album. While most of their albums have at least one or two good songs or moments, Just A Game is a pure, straightforward Hard Rock/Blues Rock and Rock 'N' Roll album filled with generic and wholly unchallenging Rock numbers. The party rocker American Girls is lyrically so clichéd and musically so utterly dull that I must press 'next'. And the album's first three tracks are not much better. Movin' On sounding like Styx (in their worst Hard Rock moments). The title track is a far better song but it is extremely far behind songs like Blinding Light Show and Ordinary Man.

Fantasy Serenade is Rik Emmet's obligatory acoustic piece, easily the best moment on the whole album. Hold On reminds strongly of Boston and is acceptable, but it will hardly impress anyone in any way and neither will the Blues number Suitcase Blues that closes the album. I have to "lay it on the line" here and give this album the lowest possible rating. Triumph never made a great album, but they made much better ones both before and after this one.

The only positive feature of this album is its short length (even though it feels like an eternity!).

Only for completionists!

The Led Zeppelin-like Hard Rocker, Fool For Your Love, opens this album and sets the expectations for the rest of the album very low. While it surely gets better, it sadly never gets much better. Like all of Triumph's works, this is primarily a pretty straightforward Hard Rock album, but there are a few glimpses of a more sophisticated approach that sets Triumph apart from other similar bands. Apart from Air Raid, which is a short instrumental - or should I say mood setter? - that introduces the title track, the whole first half of the album is filled with these generic and wholly undemanding Hard Rock songs. The absolute low point of the album is the Rock 'N' Roll number Hot Time (In The City Tonight). The title itself gives it away, doesn't it? Like always with Triumph, the vocals and guitar work is strong. Sadly, they rarely put these talents to any good use.

The second half of the album has a few much better songs in Fight The Good Fight and Ordinary Man. Ironically it is Ordinary Man that is the least ordinary track on Allied Forces. These songs are more elaborated and save this album from being a total disaster. The latter is very much in the style of Styx (in their better moments!) and also reminds of an earlier Triumph song, Blinding Light Show, which is, in my opinion, Triumph's best song ever. It is songs like these that make Triumph relevant for a Prog audience.

Like on many other Triumph albums, there is a short, classically inspired, acoustic guitar piece by Rik Emmet. This time it is called Petite Etude and functions as a very nice interlude. What comes after it is, however, sadly another generic rocker that closes the album. Here the vocals evoke Steve Perry of Journey and the chorus in particular is very Journey like.

Allied Forces is hardly Triumph's best album despite a few good and even one great moment. Their next album, Never Surrender, is a far better album in my opinion (though, hardly great!).

For fans and collectors only this one!

Their songwriting, production and vocals were always really sharp, but the main reason to try this band out is Rik Emmet's guitar work. Not sure what he's doing these days, but he was a longtime columnist in Guitar Player.

If you check out one song as a taster, make it "Fight the Good Fight" - a rare example of how well a reggae beat can work with hard rock.

Thunder Seven is, as its title implies, Triumph's seventh studio album. It is a very uneven album with some good moments and many that can be described as mundane and generic. Thunder Seven is also one of Triumph's most eclectic albums. Spellbound has a rather commercial sound with a catchy chorus clearly geared towards radio play. Rock Out, Roll On could perhaps have been a better song than it is with a better chorus and particularly with better lyrics. The lyrics are deadly uninteresting and standard on almost the whole album. Cool Down is a bluesy rocker that sounds like a total Led Zeppelin rip off. The vocals even sound very much like Robert Plant. Like in Led Zeppelin's music there is also a slight Folk influence manifested here in an acoustic break.

Next up is a Pop Metal song with a forgettable chorus and, again, basic Rock 'N' Roll lyrics. All these straightforward Hard Rock songs are becoming quite tiresome at this point and anyone who would have given up on Thunder Seven after its first four songs might be forgiven. But it gets better! Time Goes By is actually a very good song and here the vocals strongly evoke Steve Perry of Journey. Still even this song will probably not impress the average Prog Rock fan despite its strong melody and its Ritchie Blackmore-like, Neo-Classical solo! Still, it is easily the album's best song.

You cannot accuse Triumph of being original as they often sound like other bands. But they do have a tendency to surprise you when you least expect it! The can create whole albums of boring Hard Rock and then, suddenly, glimpses of creativity and progressive attitude flashes by. On this album these bright moments are represented first by Rik Emmet's Midsummer's Night Dream which is a gorgeous acoustic guitar piece that could have been written and played by Steve Howe or Steve Hackett. This is followed with Time Canon which is an a cappella number full of Queen/Gentle Giant-like harmony vocals! This then leads into the average semi-ballad Killing Time. This song would have fitted perfectly on one of Journey's worst albums! Stranger In A Strange Land is another quite good song with good guitar work and vocals, even the lyrics are decent here. But again, this will certainly not blow the Prog fan away. The album ends with the bluesy instrumental Little Boy Blues.

With several songs about time, you might perhaps say that this album is partly a very loose concept album about time. It has a few good songs and a few short moments showing a progressive mindset. Sadly, the large majority of the material is straightforward and mundane Hard Rock numbers. Triumph never made a great album, but they made better ones than Thunder Seven, both before and after.

Only for fans and collectors

Never Surrender is possibly Triumph's most varied yet consistent and perhaps also their most progressive album overall. Like all of Triumph's works, this is still primarily a Hard Rock album, but this time they have chosen a slightly more sophisticated approach than on most of their other albums. The band's most undemanding and generic compositions are, thankfully, not to be found on this album (but, admittedly, their most progressive song is also not here). Even in the lyrics they manage to stay away from the worst Rock 'N' Roll standards and clichés.

The album starts with Too Much Thinking which is a good melodic Hard Rock song that runs for five and a half minutes. They use this space to include some nice guitar work. Triumph can never be accused of too much thinking, but they sure know how to play their instruments. With World Of Fantasy the tempo is slowed down a bit and they deliver here dynamic song with a strong vocal performance. A Minor Prelude is a classically inspired acoustic guitar piece of the kind that has become standard on the band's albums. Being a "prelude" this, of course, leads straight into the next song, All The Way, which is the album's most straightforward rocker and easily the least interesting song here. The chorus is quite tedious both musically and lyrically ? a very typical Triumph Hard Rock number. Battle Cry is a much better song that alternates between slower and more intense passages. This will hardly blow the Prog fan away, but it is a good song in my book.

Next up is an "overture" that introduces the title track. While hardly remarkable, this Overture surely raises the expectations for the rest of the album, but anyone expecting a Prog epic will be brought down to earth with Never Surrender. Despite a the instrumental middle section, it is basically another sophisticated melodic Hard Rock song, similar in style and quality to Too Much Thinking and World Of Fantasy - good, but hardly something to write home about. When The Light Go Down is worse! It has a short, folksy acoustic intro and outro that evokes Led Zeppelin and overall it is a pretty unexciting bluesy Hard Rock number in the style of that band. As the album closer is a short, relaxing, bluesy instrumental guitar piece, the album's last proper song is Writing On The Wall which is, again, a melodic up tempo rocker.

Three stars might be seen as a rather generous rating for this album, but it is nonetheless the rating I will give as this is one of Triumph's better albums. Good, but by no means essential.

"Allied Forces" is band's next album, and it got strong reviews in time of releasing. So, many years later I decided just to check once again , and purchaised that Triumph album. Disappointment!

Music became less complex and more straight AOR. In fact, radio oriented rock songs. Even previous album sounds much more better. No any connections with prog or even just good heavy rock.

I just missed any interest to Triumph after that album. Not recommended.