TRIUMPH - Thunder Seven

                    [Millennium Remastered Series]

TML Entertainment

Posted:  4/25/05

Reviewed by: Lynn Phillips

Category: Hard Rock

Original Release: 1984  Remastered: 11/9/04

Label URL: www.triumphmusic.com

Artist URL: www.triumphmusic.com

Thunder Seven is an anomaly of sorts.  While it contains no true bonafide hit single, it is the favorite of many a Triumph fan, including myself.  There is no doubt that tracks like "Spellbound" and "Follow Your Heart" were commercially viable and catchy but neither received major radio airplay when the album was released in 1984.  Then again, Triumph never received the proper credit they deserved in regards to their songwriting ability and musicianship.  Their music was melodic and powerful and they had one of the better guitarists to come out of the 1980’s in virtuoso Rik Emmett.  It’s because of all these qualities that Thunder Seven is such a masterpiece.  Perhaps its biggest strength however is its musical diversity.  I can’t think of another full-length release where my favorite songs alternated style as much as this one.  Sometimes I gravitate toward great hard rock songs like "Rock Out, Roll On" and "Time Goes By," sometimes I prefer the aforementioned commercial 'hits' and other times I’ll plug in the compact disc to specifically listen to the acoustic "Midsummer’s Daydream" or amazing soft blues track "Little Boy Blues."  Triumph must be commended for successfully mixing a variety of styles, all of which have been crafted with superb quality. 

From my perspective, the diverse songs that the band wrote for Thunder Seven are golden.  This was not an easy feat to pull off, as prior to this album only upper tier bands like Led Zeppelin had been able to do it.  From an audio standpoint, the best part about this remaster is that the fidelity has improved quite a bit over the original.  I was able to pick up subtle nuances in "Spellbound" and "Midsummer’s Daydream" that I never heard before.  Listening to this remaster makes me realize what an amazing band Triumph was back in the day.  You just can’t find bands this good in today’s stale music market.

The Bloody Truth:  When reaching for a desert island disc that I would never grow tired of, Thunder Seven would surely be in my top five.  Now that it has been reissued with improved sound quality there’s no reason that any fan of hard rock or metal should not include this gem in their collection.