 TRIUMPH
In The Beginning
Attic Records 1976
www.rikemmett.com
What’s the 4-1-1?
Triumph was one of Canada's biggest and best rock bands of the late seventies
and early eighties. Rik Emmett, Mike Levine, and Gil Moore were three of
the most talented musicians of the era. The band's first album was originally
very scarce outside of Canada, and as such, stands as one of their most
underrated efforts. From the very beginning the band knew how to rock and
roll.
The band's earliest albums feature their original, harder and heavier sound
on a larger scale than later efforts. On the first album, the band's sound
is a little less developed than on the later albums, and as such, on many
of the tracks, the band relies on outside influences. On many of the tracks,
Gil Moore's vocals sound a lot like those of Rush's Geddy Lee on many tracks,
and there are definitely musical influences from a lot of other acts of
the day. Every song on here, though, is a masterpiece.
"
Twenty-Four Hours A Day" kicks off the album in fine form with a slow
and melodic Rik Emmett ballad sequence, but it quickly erupts into a damn
fine classic rocker. One of the album's most memorable tunes is "Don't
Take My Life", which sounds like a cross between Rush and Alice Cooper.
Also noteworthy is the two-song long "Street Fighter" medley,
and the epic, "Blinding Light Show/Moonchild." But the strongest
song on the album, in my opinion, would have to be "What's Another
Day Of Rock And Roll", a hard rocking tale of the band's rise to fame.
What more can be said? GREAT album!
The only real complaint I have about this album is that the band didn't
really have a definitive sound yet. As such, many songs do find themselves
sounding like those by other artists of the same era. But that's so small
a complaint it's not even really worth mentioning. It's enjoyable music
that counts, right?
The Verdict
Triumph's first album is an underrated masterpiece. It definitely stands
as one of the finest rock albums of the seventies, even if the critics
tended to overlook it, then and now alike.
Did You Know?
When this album was originally released on vinyl, it was self-titled and featured
a different cover.
Rating:  out
of 5
Related Reviews:
Triumph - Live at the US Festival DVD
--Darth Kommissar
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