The Sport of Kings

Unlike their eternally superior nemesis Rush, Triumph's sound had never truly progressed throughout their seven studio albums. And when it finally did, starting with 1984's Thunder Seven, the results could hardly be called an improvement, as the band merely decided to embrace the ill-advised mid-'80s commercial ploy of integrating bright, sugary synthesizers into their material in order to enhance its hit potential. After the release of their 1985 live album Stages, this trend would become even more pronounced on 1986's The Sport of Kings, which saw the obviously disinterested band taking the plunge into gutless post-Journey AOR with decidedly lackluster results. As always, guitarist Rik Emmett and drummer Gil Moore trade lead vocal assignments throughout; but the almost nonexistent differences between their once very distinct songwriting styles only confirm just how sanitized the band's creative process had become. Highlights are hard to come by, but opener "Tears in the Rain" has its moments, and despite relying heavily on Boston as inspiration for its acoustic and harmony lead guitars, "Don't Love Anybody Else but Me" probably yields the album's best chorus. At the end of the day, The Sport of Kings easily qualifies as one of Triumph's worst efforts.