Triumph drummer Gil Moore recently opened up about the band’s reunion in an interview featured on the Mistress Carrie Podcast. He explained how he and guitarist Rik Emmett were able to move past old tensions and reconnect.
Moore was asked directly about his ability to focus on the positive and release the conflicts that once fractured the band. He offered a candid and reflective response.
The interviewer posed the question: “Talk to me about being able to focus on the good stuff and let go of the stuff that may have splintered the band years ago and just move forward because I don’t know if I’m a good enough person to be able to do what you guys did.”
Moore drew on the analogy of family to explain the dynamic. “Well, you know, I’ll say this, families have fights. People get divorced or they break up for a while. Sometimes, you know, kids become disillusioned with their parents or their siblings. I’m fortunate in my family because we’re very tight. So, we’re very lucky that way,” he said.
He then turned to the specific pressures that bands face and how he and Emmett found a way through. “But in a band, there’s a lot of pressure. And I understand, you know, back in 1988, I guess it was, I understand Rik’s position. He probably understands my position and we both just had to kind of, you know, let it go and let the past be the past. And I can’t speak for him cuz I’m not in his head but I think I’m in his heart and he’s certainly in mine,” Moore continued.
Moore went on to describe how the reunion has brought the bandmates closer than ever before. “So the brotherhood and that strength of being in the Three Musketeers and all the blood, sweat and tears that went into Triumph. At the end of the day, it sort of wins out with your emotions. And the funny thing now touring together like I’ve never felt closer. Like we hug each other when we come off stage is crazy. We didn’t hug each other when we came off stage back in the day,” he said.
He also reflected on other bands that have struggled to move on, expressing empathy for those still carrying old grudges. “When I see older bands and they still carry grudges against each other, I feel bad for them because you got to let it, you got to kind of let some things go and realize we’re all God’s children, but we’re all flawed. We all have our strengths and our weaknesses. And so, you know, no one’s exempt from that,” Moore said.
Closing his thoughts, Moore acknowledged his own imperfections and emphasized the importance of forgiveness. “I’ve never behaved perfectly in Triumph. And I’m sure Rik doesn’t think he behaved perfectly. So, at the end of the day, what are you going to do? Expect someone else to be perfect? I mean even that’s the harmony in a family for example you know something goes wrong you don’t have to put the person in jail cuz they made a mistake. You get through it and try to build on the experience and so we’re on a really great ride. It’s never going to end in terms of our relationship. Even when we stop playing eventually, it’ll never — our friendship will never fracture,” he concluded.
Triumph’s reunion has clearly brought a renewed sense of closeness among its members. Moore suggested the bond between the band is now stronger than it has ever been.
Moore’s reflections carry particular weight given the long road Triumph has traveled since their original run. The Canadian rock trio — consisting of Moore, Emmett, and bassist Mike Levine — built a devoted following through the late 1970s and 1980s. Internal tensions then led to Emmett’s departure in 1988, effectively putting the band on an extended hiatus that lasted decades.
Triumph was formed in Mississauga, Ontario, in 1975 and rose to prominence with a hard-driving sound that blended hard rock and progressive elements. The band released a string of successful albums throughout their peak years, earning a reputation as one of Canada’s most celebrated rock acts. Their catalog includes fan favorites such as Lay It on the Line, Magic Power, and Fight the Good Fight — songs that have continued to resonate with audiences long after the band’s original run came to an end.
The split in 1988 was widely attributed to creative and personal tensions between Moore and Emmett. For many years, the prospect of a full reunion seemed unlikely. Emmett pursued a successful solo career and explored jazz and acoustic music, while Moore and Levine kept the Triumph name alive in a limited capacity. The distance between the founding members remained a defining chapter in the band’s story for over three decades.
When Triumph did reunite, the response from fans was enthusiastic, underscoring just how much the band had been missed. The reunion represented not only a musical comeback but also a personal reconciliation. Moore has now spoken about it with remarkable openness and humility. His willingness to acknowledge his own flaws, and to extend the same understanding to Emmett, reflects a maturity that has clearly made the reunion as meaningful off stage as it is on it.
For Moore, the lesson appears to be a universal one — that holding onto resentment ultimately costs more than letting it go. His words serve as a reminder that even the deepest fractures, whether in a band or a family, can be healed when both sides choose connection over conflict.
