Triumph

Triumph

Triumph, rock band that formed in Toronto in 1975 with Gil Moore (drums, vocals), Mike Levine (bass) and Rik Emmett (guitar, vocals). A cover of Joe Walsh's "Rocky Mountain Way" (1978) marked the band's first real Canadian success and paved the way for its first national tour. Known almost as much for its elaborate stage shows and pyrotechnics as its heavy music, Truimph became a large arena and stadium draw in both Canada and the United States through most of the 1980s. The band recorded a series of gold albums (50 000 units sold) as well as platinum (100 000 units sold), Just A Game (1979) and Thunder Seven (1984). Triumph also opened its own Metalworks recording studio in 1981. Emmett, one of the top guitarists in rock, left the group for a solo career in 1988. After 3 years of public inactivity, Triumph reformed with new guitarist Phil X to release Edge of Excess (1992) before fading into the background again. Emmett remained estranged from his former bandmates until March 2007, when Triumph was inducted into the Canadian Music Industry Hall of Fame. Thirteen months later at the 2008 JUNO AWARDS, the power trio was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame. Emmett, Moore and Levine performed together for the first time in 20 years at the Sweden Rock Festival in Sölvesborg, Sweden, in June 2008, with Dave Dunlop added as a second guitarist.