Metal Sludge Gossip Board

I don’t know much music by either band.

So my question to Canadian hardish rock connoisseurs:

Rush’s worst album (with Peart) vs Triumph’s best album ?

There are some very striking similarities between both bands, sound-wise (obviously).

I've always thought Rush + Rik Emmett could have been an AMAZING Zep-level band. Geddy on Bass, Neil on Drums/lyrics, Alex on Rhythm Guitar and some Lead guitar and Rik on Vocals and Most Lead guitar.

Combine the killer prog riffs and vision of RUSH with Rik's ability to actually sing the stuff without driving so many potential fans away and his ability to write actual songs way more people would like. He's also an AMAZING guitarist. Not to knock Alex, but solo-wise Rik just buries him. he understands melody and phrasing so much better, IMO.

I would have basically been the same band with similar, but fantastic vocals, amazing musicianship and great, commercially accessible songs but with tons of depth. pretty much the best if the best, talent-wise.

RUSHtards...save it. It's just an opinion.

Triumph's best album was Thunder Seven. Better than all but the 3-4 best Rush albums. I might elevate Moving Pictures, Power Windows, Grace Under Pressure, Permanent Waves, Signals and Presto above Thunder Seven. No others.

Van Ailin' wrote: ↑Tue Jun 17, 2025 2:53 pm Triumph's best album was Thunder Seven. Better than all but the 3-4 best Rush albums. I might elevate Moving Pictures, Power Windows, Grace Under Pressure, Permanent Waves, Signals and Presto above Thunder Seven. No others.

I like both bands, but Rush had more albums, and most of the time, better albums. Allied Forces and Thunder Seven are my favorites from Triumph, but neither one is as good as most Rush albums. Most people would probably see Rush as being more progressive, intellectual, etc. while Triumph was a lot of fun, but not taken too seriously.

BTW, Permanent Waves, Moving Pictures, Signals and Grace Under Pressure are probably my favorite Rush records. Only the Beatles, Stones, Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Van Halen and a handful of other artists have put together such a great run of four or more great albums in a row.

Rush laid a lot of turds. FBN and CoS are patchy. The post-Power Windows trifecta is horrible. Counterparts was a brief return to form, then you can flush the rest.

Wiseacre wrote: ↑Tue Jun 17, 2025 10:42 am There are some very striking similarities between both bands, sound-wise (obviously).

I've always thought Rush + Rik Emmett fantastic vocals, amazing musicianship and great, commercially accessible songs but with tons of depth. pretty much the best if the best, talent-wise.

They could do it right now & should!

Triumph have a handful of good songs like "Fight the Good Fight", "Lay It on the Line", "Spellbound", "Follow Your Heart", "Somebody's Out There", etc., but Rush are utterly unfuckwithable in the realm of Canadian bands. I love pretty much everything they've done.

dmbrocker wrote: ↑Tue Jun 17, 2025 4:15 pm Triumph have a handful of good songs like "Fight the Good Fight", "Lay It on the Line", "Spellbound", "Follow Your Heart", "Somebody's Out There", etc., but Rush are utterly unfuckwithable in the realm of Canadian bands. I love pretty much everything they've done.

Nerd rock though. Rush could never write a great song. That’s what was always missing from any chance of huge mainstream success. There is no denying their musical excellence, but it’s just a bore of you are a song/melody fan.

tooth wrote: ↑Tue Jun 17, 2025 4:10 pm

Wiseacre wrote: ↑Tue Jun 17, 2025 10:42 am There are some very striking similarities between both bands, sound-wise (obviously).

I've always thought Rush + Rik Emmett fantastic vocals, amazing musicianship and great, commercially accessible songs but with tons of depth. pretty much the best if the best, talent-wise.

They could do it right now & should!

Would have been killer back in the ‘80s or earlier, but now? And no Neil?

dmbrocker wrote: ↑Tue Jun 17, 2025 4:15 pm Triumph have a handful of good songs like "Fight the Good Fight", "Lay It on the Line", "Spellbound", "Follow Your Heart", "Somebody's Out There", etc., but Rush are utterly unfuckwithable in the realm of Canadian bands. I love pretty much everything they've done.

This pretty much sums it up . Triumph can put together a killer best of album , and that would be all you needed. Rush is the top of the Mountian for Canadian rock. Comparing anyone to them isn’t fair.

kytepunches wrote: ↑Wed Jun 18, 2025 3:18 pm

dmbrocker wrote: ↑Tue Jun 17, 2025 4:15 pm Triumph have a handful of good songs like "Fight the Good Fight", "Lay It on the Line", "Spellbound", "Follow Your Heart", "Somebody's Out There", etc., but Rush are utterly unfuckwithable in the realm of Canadian bands. I love pretty much everything they've done.

This pretty much sums it up . Triumph can put together a killer best of album , and that would be all you needed. Rush is the top of the Mountian for Canadian rock. Comparing anyone to them isn’t fair.

that’s why I handicapped it with: BEST triumph album vs WORST Rush album

Triumph has wasted more time than VH

I like Triumph, they are very good, but they are a very ordinary kind of band. Normal chord changes, normal riffs, normal drums, normal vocals, normal bass playing.

Rush is fucking weird and different. They are not like anybody else.

The stuff on the first Rush album, where they are just doing more regular blues rock sounds like Triumph. I could totally hear Triumph doing Working Man or What You're Doing, but Rush took off in a whole different direction after that.

I cannot imagine Triumph doing shit like Xanadu or 2112.

So I'd go Rush.

2 bands I hate 100%
It is actual torture
What’s worse ?
Glad I never married(girl). Imagine that she comes home “ I am Triumph fan now” she would go from LA 9 to 2. I would leave

DangerZone wrote: ↑Wed Jun 18, 2025 3:32 pm

kytepunches wrote: ↑Wed Jun 18, 2025 3:18 pm

dmbrocker wrote: ↑Tue Jun 17, 2025 4:15 pm Triumph have a handful of good songs like "Fight the Good Fight", "Lay It on the Line", "Spellbound", "Follow Your Heart", "Somebody's Out There", etc., but Rush are utterly unfuckwithable in the realm of Canadian bands. I love pretty much everything they've done.

This pretty much sums it up . Triumph can put together a killer best of album , and that would be all you needed. Rush is the top of the Mountian for Canadian rock. Comparing anyone to them isn’t fair.

that’s why I handicapped it with: BEST triumph album vs WORST Rush album

Ok.Ok . Thunder7 > Snakes and Arrows.

Sleek wrote: ↑Wed Jun 18, 2025 3:45 pm I like Triumph, they are very good, but they are a very ordinary kind of band. Normal chord changes, normal riffs, normal drums, normal vocals, normal bass playing.

Rush is fucking weird and different. They are not like anybody else.

The stuff on the first Rush album, where they are just doing more regular blues rock sounds like Triumph. I could totally hear Triumph doing Working Man or What You're Doing, but Rush took off in a whole different direction after that.

I cannot imagine Triumph doing shit like Xanadu or 2112.

So I'd go Rush.

I endorse this message.


And to the poster who says Rik buries Alex on solos.....dude listen to Limelight or Strangiato again you sons a bitch.
And then go find Jesus too.

HottKarl777 wrote: ↑Wed Jun 18, 2025 6:25 pm

And to the poster who says Rik buries Alex on solos.....dude listen to Limelight or Strangiato again you sons a bitch.
And then go find Jesus too.

I said it and stand by it. Limelight solo sucks hard. None of his solos are great. He’s the Kirk Hammett of Rush. I found Jesus in ‘97.

"Caress Of Steel"

"Allied Forces"

Triumph doesn't get enough credit and Rush gets too much.

Similarly, Emmett is a very underrated guitar player and Zivojinovic is a tad overrated (simply because he's in Rush). Rik is a much better singer than Geddy, too.

Triumph was definitely more radio-friendly, but their songs are pretty standard, so it depends on what you are looking for.

HoldenSSV wrote: ↑Thu Jun 19, 2025 5:20 am Triumph doesn't get enough credit and Rush gets too much.

Similarly, Emmett is a very underrated guitar player and Zivojinovic is a tad overrated (simply because he's in Rush). Rik is a much better singer than Geddy, too.

Triumph was definitely more radio-friendly, but their songs are pretty standard, so it depends on what you are looking for.

Triumph was a band you and your girlfriend could agree on for music selection in the car.

Triumph wins. Not close. Thunder Seven, Never Surrender, Just a Game, Allied Forces, Sport of Kings, and Surveillance are miles better than any album Rush released.

I love Moving Pictures and Exit Stage Left. Never heard another release by them I needed to own.

Rush in a landslide.

And never trust anyone who "found Jesus". LOL

Rush by a mile. Alex Lifeson is a Prog Rawk Gawd

Objectively speaking, Lifeson is the weakest member of Rush and Emmett is a better guitar player.

NeonKnite wrote: ↑Thu Jun 19, 2025 7:16 am
And never trust anyone who "found Jesus". LOL

Says a grown up with a childish obsession with a fake satanic band made for little kids. LOLOL

I thought that was you

Wiseacre wrote: ↑Wed Jun 18, 2025 11:57 pm

HottKarl777 wrote: ↑Wed Jun 18, 2025 6:25 pm

And to the poster who says Rik buries Alex on solos.....dude listen to Limelight or Strangiato again you sons a bitch.
And then go find Jesus too.

I said it and stand by it. Limelight solo sucks hard. None of his solos are great. He’s the Kirk Hammett of Rush. I found Jesus in ‘97.

The solo in "Freewill" is incredible, and the guitar work in "2112" showcases a whole new level of creativity. As mentioned earlier, "La Villa" is perfection, and "Between the Wheels" is absolutely delightful. To suggest that Rik would outperform Alex is completely misguided.

vernomatic wrote: ↑Sun Jun 22, 2025 3:02 pm

Wiseacre wrote: ↑Wed Jun 18, 2025 11:57 pm

HottKarl777 wrote: ↑Wed Jun 18, 2025 6:25 pm

And to the poster who says Rik buries Alex on solos.....dude listen to Limelight or Strangiato again you sons a bitch.
And then go find Jesus too.

I said it and stand by it. Limelight solo sucks hard. None of his solos are great. He’s the Kirk Hammett of Rush. I found Jesus in ‘97.

The solo in "Freewill" is incredible, and the guitar work in "2112" showcases a whole new level of creativity. As mentioned earlier, "La Villa" is perfection, and "Between the Wheels" is absolutely delightful. To suggest that Rik would outperform Alex is completely misguided.

I've seen both live a couple of times. Rik was a great singer and his acoustic fingerstyle playing is upper-level, but his electric rhythm/lead guitar style is as generic as it gets. You could play a dozen '70s guys back to back and there's nothing about Rik Emmet's solos that would distinguish him from any of them. Easy win for Alex Lifeson for creativity and originality here.

Gibsonite wrote: ↑Sun Jun 22, 2025 4:29 pm

vernomatic wrote: ↑Sun Jun 22, 2025 3:02 pm

Wiseacre wrote: ↑Wed Jun 18, 2025 11:57 pm

I said it and stand by it. Limelight solo sucks hard. None of his solos are great. He’s the Kirk Hammett of Rush. I found Jesus in ‘97.

The solo in "Freewill" is incredible, and the guitar work in "2112" showcases a whole new level of creativity. As mentioned earlier, "La Villa" is perfection, and "Between the Wheels" is absolutely delightful. To suggest that Rik would outperform Alex is completely misguided.

I've seen both live a couple of times. Rik was a great singer and his acoustic fingerstyle playing is upper-level, but his electric rhythm/lead guitar style is as generic as it gets. You could play a dozen '70s guys back to back and there's nothing about Rik Emmet's solos that would distinguish him from any of them. Easy win for Alex Lifeson for creativity and originality here.

Because Alex noodles aimlessly over an odd time signature? That solo goes nowhere. None of his solos go anywhere. You don’t have to recreate the wheel to be great and the only people who care about that weird shit are musicians who wear their guitars up to their armpits. Rik is amazing at everything he does. Generally, guitarists who are singers have a much better feel for phrasing and melody. Alex is a great musician, of cours (great rhythm player, great chords, tone) but nowhere near the same level as Neil or Geddy. Especially not as a solo player. He was always the weakest link. That why they would have been better with a greater lead guitarist.

Probably half the drummers and bassists of the ‘70s and ‘80s were directly influenced by Neil and Geddy. Guitarists and Alex? Not so much, unless they were total Rushtards. That would be RR or EVH. Light years above Alex in the solo game. I wouldn’t necessarily vote for Rik as JUST lead guitarist, but as a vocalist, guitarist and writer it would have been very interesting to hear a 4-piece RUSH with him on board and nothing else taken away.

Sleek wrote: ↑Wed Jun 18, 2025 3:45 pm I like Triumph, they are very good, but they are a very ordinary kind of band. Normal chord changes, normal riffs, normal drums, normal vocals, normal bass playing.

Rush is fucking weird and different. They are not like anybody else.

The stuff on the first Rush album, where they are just doing more regular blues rock sounds like Triumph. I could totally hear Triumph doing Working Man or What You're Doing, but Rush took off in a whole different direction after that.

I cannot imagine Triumph doing shit like Xanadu or 2112.

So I'd go Rush.

This says otherwise. Nothing ordinary about this track. Nothing normal about the chord changes throughout the song. Absolutely high, in tune vocals.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=irL4661cpa8


Vocals: Rik Emmett > Gil Moore > Geddy Lee

Guitar (rhythm): Rik > Alex Lifeson

Guitar (acoustic): Rik > Alex

Guitar (lead): Rik > Alex

Drums: Neil Peart > Gil

Bass: Geddy > Mike Levine

Lyrics: Tie between Neil and Rik (totally different songwriters) > Gil > Geddy and Alex (very little songwriting and what they did was average at best)