OLD LOVES DIE HARD

This is the beginning of the downfall for TRIUMVIRAT; i was not enamored wit SPARTACUS already, but this album OLD LOVES DIE HARD won't make me happier!There is excellent music on this album, for sure, even some outstanding tracks like THE HISTORY OF MYSTERY,but there are signs that the magic will reach its end soon.

First of all, we have a new line-up. HELMUT KOLLEN the bassist/singer left the band and was replaced DICK FRANGENBERG on bass who already played with the band well before the release of their first album MEDITERRANEAN TALES. But TRIUMVIRAT decided to bring on board a lead singer, a british man BARRY PALMER. Nothing wrong with that if you think that it will help you to reach a broader audience as the first 2 german singers of the band, i must admit, were of an aquired taste.

The problem is PALMER sounds so cheesy!! Just try the syrupous I BELIEVE and the no less syrupous title track OLD LOVES DIE HARD; After listening to these 2 songs, JUSTIN HAYWARD will sound to you as tortured as PETER HAMMILL! And the words follow the same path!!! ''Sold my soul to Rock n Roll''??? by TRIUMVIRAT???? come on!! This is OK if DIO or GILLAN sing that, but a lounge singer accompanied by a nice moog synth in the background selling his soul to R.R!!! doesn't sound right at all!

However the goods are still there, mostly in the instrumental parts, you guess right! JURGEN FRITZ is still a great writer of furious instrumental keyboards-led tunes that will bring every lover of bombastic prog to heaven!' Also the good thing is the instrumental tracks are the longest ones of the album like the 8'13'' A DAY IN A LIFE and the one of the best piece TRIUMVIRAT ever recorded the great 10'31'' PANIC ON 5TH AVENUE which are well worth the price of admission and help make the album a relatively pleasant experience overall.

So forget the BARRY PALMER 3 songs which are the shortest anyway and concentrate on the 3 long tracks (THE HISTORY OF MUSIC has PALMER on it, but he is OK on this one and doesn't sing too long anyway) and enjoy the melodic virtuosity of JURGEN FRITZ when he acts as a devil on his keyboards and forget to write pop songs.

Sadly, TRIUMVIRAT will turn pop, indeed, with their next releases! but, hey! 1977 was around the corner!

3 STARS!

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