Triumph consists of Rik Emmett.
Triumph was a Canadian rock band popular in the late 1970s through the 1980s.
Like their fellow Canadians, Rush and Saga, Triumph began building their reputation across North America as a live band, peaking in the early 1980s as an import before interest gradually declined. Today, the power trio has been largely forgotten outside of Canada. The band was formed by Toronto music veterans Gil Moore (b. 1951) (drums/vocals) and Mike Levine (b. 1948) (bass/keyboards), after meeting guitarist/songwriter Rik Emmett (b. 1953) in a manager's office in Toronto in 1975.
Being a power trio, Triumph were often compared to Rush, but at the start, their own brand of heavy rock remained structured and traditional, eschewing concept albums and instrumental improvisation. The band is considered heavy metal by most standards. However, Rik Emmett's eclectic songwriting styles soon revealed his personal tastes ran closer to the heart of progressive rock. Each Triumph album included a classical guitar suite, often a highlight amid the band's otherwise predictable collection of anthems and ballads. Drummer Gil Moore's greatest distinction lay in his ability to sing the band's heavier numbers, such as "When the Lights Go Down," and "Allied Forces," but he never developed much in terms of lyrical sophistication. Bassist/keyboardist Mike Levine served capably as the group's backbone in concert, also producing their early albums.
Triumph's bombastic style proved unpopular with rock critics, who paused their harangues against Rush long enough to print more than a few diatribes against them. Rolling Stone reviewers, in particular, were unkind to the Canadian trio, labelling them "mutant hoseheads," and "yet another faceless band." Yet, Rik Emmett's boyish charm and guitar heroics attracted numerous young fans, not to mention high esteem from professional and aspiring guitarists alike. Some also compared his guitar chops to Eddie Van Halen, also a rising star at the time. Another attraction to Triumph's concerts lay in their lavish fireworks displays, courtesy of Gil Moore, a pyrotechnics expert in his own right. Because their stage show proved too large for a support act, Triumph essentially began in 1977 as a U.S. headliner at San Antonio, which remained a popular venue for the trio.