RIK EMMETT Says He ‘Resolved’ His Issues With His TRIUMPH Bandmates ‘A Long Time Ago’

BLABBERMOUTH.NET

In a new interview with Full In Bloom, guitarist/vocalist Rik Emmett of the legendary Canadian power trio TRIUMPH was asked if being involved with the making the forthcoming first-ever feature documentary about the band's dramatic career "reignited any animosity" between him and his bandmates, drummer Gil Moore and bassist Mike Levine. He responded (hear audio below): "We're good. We're old grown-ups now. [Laughs] That stuff is ancient history, because we resolved our issues a long time ago, and we've sort of come to terms with that in very adult grown-up kinds of ways. Having said that, it's not great when you're revisiting things in your life that give you sorrow. "It was not an easy time from 1987 through about 1993 — it was a bad time in my life when it came to those guys — but it doesn't change the fact that for 13 years we were bonded at the hip, and for a large chunk of that time, it was three musketeers," he explained. "So, yeah, there's some emotion in it, that's for sure." Slated for release in the coming months, "Triumph: Lay It On The Line" was produced by Emmy and Peabody award-winning Banger Films and was described in a press release as "a celebratory, exhilarating thrill ride through the history of one of rock's most unsung acts. Moore, Levine, and Emmett formed TRIUMPH in 1975, and their blend of heavy riff-rockers with progressive odysseys, peppered with thoughtful, inspiring lyrics and virtuosic guitar playing quickly made them a household name in Canada. Anthems like "Lay It On The Line", "Magic Power" and "Fight The Good Fight" broke them in the USA, and they amassed a legion of fiercely passionate fans. But, as a band that suddenly split at the zenith of their popularity, TRIUMPH missed out on an opportunity to say thank you to those loyal and devoted fans, a base that is still active today, three decades later. After 20 years apart, Emmett, Levine and Moore played at the 2008 editions of the Sweden Rock Festival and Rocklahoma. A DVD of the historic Sweden performance was made available four years later. Back in 2016, Moore and Levine reunited with Rik as special guests on the "RES 9" album from Emmett's band RESOLUTION9. Most recently, Moore, Emmett and Levine reconnected for an invite-only event this past November at MetalWorks studio in Mississauga (a suburb of Toronto), Ontario, Canada. The reunion was taped for "Triumph: Lay It On The Line".