Rik Emmett left Triumph because he couldn’t do things that he wanted to do in that band situation

Rik Emmett left Triumph because he couldn’t do things that he wanted to do in that band situation

Triumph frontman Rik Emmett was recently interviewed by Jimmy Kay and Alan Dixon for Canada’s The Metal Voice.

Back on July 10, 2020, Round Hill Records reissued 11 of Emmett‘s solo albums in digital format consisting of Ten Invitations (1998), Swing Shift (1998), Raw Quartet (1999), Live At Berklee (2000), Handiwork (2003), Good Faith (2003), Strung-Out Troubadours (2006), Live At Hugh’s Room (2007), Liberty Manifesto (2007), Push & Pull (2009) and Marco’s Secret Songbook (2012).

Emmett left Triumph back in 1988 and reunited with drummer Gil Moore and bassist Mike Levine in 2008.

Jimmy Kay mentioned that he had just recently seen a video with Emmett playing soccer with Iron Maiden bassist Steve Harris back in 1981 where Emmett was introduced at that time as being part of the “heavy metal band Triumph.” Emmett indicated (with slight edits): “The truth of Triumph is I think the other guys more so Gil Moore the drummer would have preferred to have been a metal band and [bassist] Mike Levine was kind of happy to go along with that journey. When they first initially envisioned the band [Triumph] before I was even in it, I think they sort of saw it as a Jimi Hendrix, Cream kind of thing. However I did have more progressive bones in my body. Plus I would also write a tune and hope that it would cross over to AM radio and heavy metal never did that.”

On why he left Triumph, Emmett stated: “The reason why I left the band [Triumph] was because I couldn’t do things I wanted to do in the Triumph situation. There was also pressure from managers, agents and even the record company at the time saying, you don’t want to get too far away from the hard rock sound. I think it’s true the band reflected the personalities and the characters of the three of us and it’s kind of like sometimes the things that make a band good and unique are also the kind of things that creates tension and stress  inside the band. That eventually maybe are the things that are going to break the band up. John Lennon and Paul McCartney would be the supreme example.”

You can read other excerpts from the interview with Rik Emmett at The Metal Voice‘s website and/or listen to the interview below: