Below is a collection of reviews written by people just like you – fans of Triumph's music. If you would like to submit a review, click here and let the world know what you think of the band's music.
A must own...
Date Reviewed: 07/14/05
Reviewer: Keith Entringer
Location: Phoenix, AZ
Review: This is where it all started for Triumph. I still think this is a great sounding album and one hell of a rocker. Actually, I think this has been the most played Triumph CD I own. I wore out the vinyl of this years ago. As I am sure you know, the CD cover is different than the original album, but the music still kicks ass.
One of the "lost" highlights for me has always been "Don't Take My Life"! As a matter of fact, Triumph used to throw the middle section of this song into the middle of "Lay It On The Line" when they played live. Everything is great about this album, the music, the production and the songwriting.
Lots of people thought there was too much Led Zeppelin influence, but for a first album I think they had already established a "Triumph" sound. I love it, you will too --- BUY IT NOW and rediscover how cool Triumph really is.
A sentimental favourite...
Date Reviewed: 06/27/05
Reviewer: Jim Smith
Location: Midland, MI
Review: This was the last of the albums to be released by the ''classic'' Triumph line-up of Gil Moore, Mike Levine and Rik Emmett. After their flirtation with pop, with 1986's The Sport of Kings , Triumph come back with guitar-driven rock on this disc. Punch, melodies and hooks dominate the tracks.
What is missing though is the cohesiveness between the players. Earlier albums, including the aformentioned Kings , included a more organic lush production. Background vocals used to be easily discernable as members of the band. On Surveillance, many people contribute to the supporting vocals leading to a more muddled sound.
While the guitars are placed back at the forefront, the album suffers from an uneven production quality. Some highlites on the album are: ''Never Say Never'', ''Carry on the Flame'' and ''On and On.'' Due to this being Rik''s last with the band, this disc is somewhat sentimental to most fans.
Worn out three albums in every media.
Date Reviewed: 01/27/06
Reviewer: Mr. Thunder Seven
Location: Toronto
Review: There're 3 Triumph studio albums that I've worn out in every media that it's ever been released and that is Allied Forces , Never Surrender and Thunder Seven . Thunder Seven has to be my favourite, probably because that's when I got into the band for the first time. Seeing Triumph at good ol' Maple Leaf Gardens back in 1984 was memorable, to say the least. And 80 concerts later, Triumph (the Thunder Seven tour in particular) is still one of my all time favourites. If the powers to be are listening, PLEASE release a show from this tour, HOPEFULLY from Toronto.
OK, here we go...Thunder Seven in review...
1. Spellbound - Man, oh man! In the immortal words of Ric Ocasek, that was ''just what I needed''! Nothin' like good ol' rock n'' roll riffery, a pounding drum that even Excedrin couldn't remove, and a backup thundering bass line to complete the storm. And let's not forget the non-apologetic, non-politically correct beautifully written lyrics about every straight man's desire - a woman. Freakin' love that song!
2. Rock Out, Roll On - True to Triumph's motivational and inspirational lyrics, these are very close to the ''Follow Your Heart'' theme, and I've always wondered why Triumph never marketed ''Rockout Roll-On For Men. ehh...couldawouldashoulda...
Another gem of a song...
''..ghosts of Woodstock still haunt the next of kin...''
..classic...
3. Cool Down - Can you say Zeppelin, boys and girls? And I thought KISS' ''Keep Me Comin'' sounded Zeppelin! Great track, perhaps a tribute to the fallen hero Bonzo...
4. Follow Your Heart - Ah yes, here we are. The masterpiece. This song has pulled me through and also made me cry, ain't ashamed to admit. Beautiful lyrics, powerful rock, and great vocals. The perfect song, and quite frankly, one of the best written, ever in history.
5. Time Goes By - A reminder of the ever ticking clock...yet still a great song!
6. Midsummer's Daydream - Let's see Kirk Hammett do that! I've always said that Rik could kick Kirk's metallibutt in any department. This is proof. The best acoustic instrumental since EVH's ''Spanish Fly'.'
7. Time Canon - This was WAY too cool to see live in '84 with lasers. On album, it's kinda nice but live it became multi-dimensional.
8. Killing Time - This one's a sad reminder of the ticking clock, and although it's a very well-manufactured song in every dept and in general, you can't help but look in the mirror and ask ''where am I killing time in my life.'' OK, maybe it was just me, but it was very effective.
"...the time we waste on hate, full of anger and jealousy, the times you were so cruel and the times you turned on me..."
With lyrics like that, it's no wonder Triumph was one of the all time best lyricists.
9. Stranger in A Strange Land - ''When Will The Light Shine Through?''...''nuff said. Great Rik track.
10. Little Boy Blues - This coulda been called ''Suitcase Blues Pt 2.'' It had the classic jazzy vibe goin', and you can't help your mind wandering off to a hotel lobby around 4am, in some American city. Girls and boys of the new generation, now THIS is what you call EMO. 'Cause if this don't get you all emotional, you've been musically deprived.
Triumph's Thunder Seven..........ahhh, the memories...gawd bless.
Van Halen had some extreme competition from the Great White North!
Date Reviewed: 06/14/05
Reviewer: Jeffrey M. Leatherwood
Location: Morgantown, WV
Review: Triumphant and energetic, with very little dross in their brand of metal! Thunder Seven presents the high tide mark for Triumph, and it''s the album that should have broken them into American primetime.
Where producers used The Sport of Kings to make-over the band, (with detrimental results) Thunder Seven presents the last great collaboration between Rik Emmett and Gil Moore. Gil''s anthems and Rik''s social commentary were never better before or after! Mike''s bass was never punchier! One can only blame MCA Records for dropping the ball, because Triumph certainly did not -- in the studio or on the road.
Whereas I am selective about listening to my Triumph collection, everything works on Thunder Seven , except for maybe "Cool Down," which sounds a tad like the band''s Led Zeppelin roots coming back to haunt them. Apart from that glitch, Thunder Seven showed us that Van Halen had some extreme competition from the Great White North! I especially loved the second side! It took almost 20 years for the album to achieve Gold status, but that just shows how loyal Triumph fans have remained to this masterwork.
Great vocals
Date Reviewed: 08/25/05
Reviewer: Jan Thielking
Location: Frankfurt, Germany
Review: My first Triumph record and beside Allied Forces the best they ever did (except Edge of Excess which is a fine piece of work).
I'm more a fan of the rough drum sound Gil used on Progression of Power and Allied Forces . Imagine that sound on Thunder Seven ... Never were the lead vocals more intense - at least I can't remember - from both Rik and Gil. It's a shame Triumph's not playing live anymore.
My introduction to Triumph
Date Reviewed: 09/22/05
Reviewer: Roberto
Location: Montreal, PQ
Review: Ah, the memories. My first Triumph album. "Follow Your Heart" was the bait that hooked me onto Triumph. Although there's alot of great riffs and lyrics, by far it's "Killing Time" that is the masterpiece on the album - the only Triumph song to ever feature an interplay of vocals between Rik and Gil.
Wishes he saw them live
Date Reviewed: 10/07/05
Reviewer: Robbie Kitchen
Location: Guelph
Review: This was it. This was the album that started it all for me. When I hear the songs they take me back to some good times. Too bad I missed the concert in Guelph that year and I regret it all the time. As I type this I am listening to "Time Goes By." How fitting. I have my fingers crossed that a reunion tour is a possibility.
Triumph's breakthrough album
Date Reviewed: 02/15/06
Reviewer: Scott
Location: Quebec
Review: This album is known by most as the record that introduced Triumph to the rest of the world, and they couldn't have started off on a better note! Just A Game is a nice little album, easy to sit down and enjoy, which makes it a great factor to appealing to many people. The album also have a nice balance of some good rock and roll (Lay It On The Line,
Hold On,
American Girls
), some amazing blues-rock that does a good job of showcasing Rik'’s guitar playing talents (Suitcase Blues,
Young Enough To Cry
) and some more prog rock tracks (Just A Game
).
A solid album that sure promised more good things to come from Triumph!
Good from start to finish...
Date Reviewed: 06/16/05
Reviewer: Dave
Location: Cleveland, Ohio
Review: Another rip-rocking album. The album I purchased must have been a re-release since a friend showed me how his opened up in to an actual game board. Man... talk about good rock n roll from start to finish.
Killer album
Date Reviewed: 09/22/05
Reviewer: Jon Tavares
Location: Portugal
Review: This was the first Triumph album I bought. I was about 14 years old at the time and the album had just been released.From the moment I placed the album on the turntable with the great opener "Movin' On" through to "Suitcase Blues," the album is a real killer! The two tracks that really stand out on this album in my opinion are the title track "Just A Game" and "Hold On".
The best of the best
Date Reviewed: 07/08/05
Reviewer: Dolly
Location: Galveston, TX
Review: There are no words that do justice to Triumph and their music. But I will do my best...This album was one of the greatest! "Fight the Good Fight" has long been an inspirational song to me, as well as "Magic Power" and "Follow Your Heart"! The Classics album combined many of my favorites. The music not only rocks...it reaches out and touches my soul.
Triumph can't be labelled
Date Reviewed: 07/19/05
Reviewer: Patrick Longworth
Location: Surrey, BC
Review: This was the very first Triumph album I bought (on cassette) as I knew that I couldn't lose with the selection of songs on the album. In time, I began to pick up other albums and began to discover what a jewel this group is. When I first heard of the band, I think they were generally described as hard rock or maybe even heavy metal; no label truly does Triumph justice as they can perform almost any kind of song with skill and enthusiasm.
My favorites are "Magic Power", "Somebody's Out There", "Follow Your Heart" and there are many others that I enjoy.
Different but great
Date Reviewed: 07/21/05
Reviewer: Michael
Location: Calgary, AB
Review: This album is a far cry from what has been offered before...and I mean that in a good way. Even though Rik does not appear on this effort, it is more solid and more in the direction of hard rock than has been established by them in the past. From the title track to "Troublemaker" and "Riding High Again" among others, this album is one of the best efforts they have released.
I only hope they will re-issue this one along with the others as it deserves to be part of a great catolauge as well. Hopefully, another effort like this will be in the works sometime in the future.
Spanish class taught me Triumph
Date Reviewed: 09/22/05
Reviewer: Will Burnham
Location: Tempe, AZ
Review: I first heard this album in my Spanish class in high school. My Spanish teacher had a record player in his room, with a bunch of classic rock albums. I fell in love with Triumph at that point. I would listen to it everyday, before class started. He even made me a cassette copy. I had looked at every record store in the area where I lived at the time, but to no avail. Now that I have moved, I finally found the album, and my CD player may never have that CD out of it again. This album is up there with greats like Guns N' Roses' Appetite For Destruction and AC/DC's Back In Black.
Wore Out Four Tapes Listening To It
Date Reviewed: 04/19/06
Reviewer: Scott H
Location: Blakely, PA
Review: I remember when I came across this album back in '86 and I was 15 and I had no idea who Triumph even was but a good friend of mine lent this album to me. Well let me tell you, I never have been able to put it down since; I still have it and still listen to it and from beginning to end. I never skip one song on this album. I think it was aged well too, still stands up well today, actually I would be thrilled if someone tried to release something like this today, it would be very refreshing to hear something like this instead of all that crap I have been hearing for the last 15 years. Excellent guitar licks through out, I especially like them on "Take a Stand." Very good singing, everything is crisp and sounds great, a very clean sound. I never really knew what happened to Triumph after this but man this one did a lot for me. I must have worn out four cassettes before I got the CD and every time I ever played this album for anyone they always had the same response, "Who is this?" and they would also be as very impressed with the music as I was.
No Allied Forces
Date Reviewed: 02/15/06
Reviewer: Scott
Location: Quebec
Review: To follow up an album like Allied Forces is for sure not an easy task, and Triumph did its best. Unfortunately, Never Surrender just wasn't the same commercial success as Allied Forces and it missed the mark.
The album starts off strong. With the furious rocker "Too Much Thinking" followed by "A World Of Fantasy," things really get rolling. Unfortunately, the second half of the album has a more tedious feel to it, which is hard to swallow.
Also included are several impressive instrumentals that showcase Rik's guitar talent, and Gil's drumming. Although the album did have some good songs, it just didn't seem to fit together as well as Allied Forces did.