TRIUMPH Members Reunite For RIK EMMETT's New Album

According to Melodic Rock, Rik Emmett will be rejoined by his bandmates in TRIUMPH, bassist Mike Levine and drummer Gil Moore, on three songs on the vocalist/guitarist's upcoming album, to be released later in the year. The collaboration will mark the first new music from the original TRIUMPH lineup since 1987's "Surveillance" album. Also expected to appear on the disc— which will apparently be released under the name RES9, which is short for RIK EMMETT RESOLUTION 9 — are RUSH's Alex Lifeson and DREAM THEATER's James LaBrie.

Last week, TRIUMPHposted the above picture on Facebook with the message: "Mike and Gil joined Rik in the studio for his new album!"

After 20 years apart, Emmett, Levine and Moore reunited for appearances at the 2008 editions of the Sweden Rock Festival and Rocklahoma. A DVD of the historic Sweden performance was made available four years later.

Emmett has said in various interviews over the years that he would welcome the chance to play TRIUMPH songs with Moore and Levine again but that those two have been reluctant to commit. "If the carrot was big enough and golden enough, I think it would make Mike and Gil, but especially Gil, do it," Emmett told the QMI Agency four years ago.

"I do like playing with the guys. It's fun. And we go out for dinners together and we're hanging out again and laughing and joking. The reunion shows, for me, was the real lovely bit of us being back as friends again, for Mike and Gil much less so. For them, they don't need the playing of the music to return to the magic of the brotherhood thing. And, honestly, when I look back on it all now, doing the Sweden thing and the Rocklahoma thing, yes, there was the money, but I think it was pretty much Gil and Mike saying, 'You know, I think this will close the circle for Rik. This will be the thing that will make Rik feel the happiest that this has all happened, and that Rik will feel like it has been done right.' And so it got done and now there's really not anything compelling them to do it."

Part of the problem, according to Emmett, is a desire on the part of Levine and Moore, the latter in particular, to embark on a TRIUMPH tour of old with big venues, tons of lasers, lights and pyro — something that most view as unrealistic for an act that hasn't been an active touring entity for three decades.

"If the offer was there, and it was a solid thing, and it wasn’t just speculative, then it would change the temperature of the conversation," said Emmett. "But at this point, so much of it is just speculative.

"But if you ask me, in my guts, do I still think there are one or two gigs left in us, I would say yes there is probably the likelihood that something will come along, like maybe some big charity gig, that would get the guys to say, 'Okay, we'll strap it on one more time.'"