THUNDER SEVEN

Triumph is not prog. Let's just get that out there right now. Maybe they should be on this site, maybe they shouldn't. I'm not going to let an argument of "what is prog?" get in the way of reviewing this album though. Here's what you need to know: Triumph is essentially a mix of Led Zeppelin and Rush with a dash of Aerosmith thrown in as well. I'm not the biggest Zep fan out there, but I like Triumph because they aren't fully in the Zep realm. They go there sometimes, but it's definitely not to the same degree. I also think Emmett is a fabulous guitarist and vocalist. I see some people harping on his vocals in here, and I will agree that he will never be universally loved. But I also see people who are claiming that Rik can't sing by citing songs in which Gil Moore (the drummer) is the featured singer and Rik sings about 3 notes in the entire song. Gil is not a guy I'm wild about, but he's not bad in the "classic rock/arena rock" sense. But this is not Classic Rock Archives, so I won't pretend that it is. Let's move on:

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.