OLD LOVES DIE HARD

This album gets a lot of underserved criticism. The year was 1976 and Triumvirat was one of the few bands that were trying to do prog that sounds a bit different from the early seventies without conceding to pop. They'd be forced by their record label later and do a bad and an atrocious album. But that is not the subject here.

With a new lineup and no guitars, Triumvirat makes a tremendous job in keeping their sound fresh and very progressive. The four songs over seven minutes are all different, remarkable and enjoyable. The string synths are a special treat, just check the atmospheric passages on A Day in A Life and The History of Mystery, the two best tracks of the album.

Another highlight in a completely different mood is A Cold Old Worried Lady, which is basically a song with only piano and vocals (there is a bit of string Synthesizer as well). The piano arrangement is simply impressive and the song very emotional.

Unfortunately, the fortunes of this progressive rock band were changing, as the genre started losing its prominence in the late seventies and the following albums would never reach the heights of Old Loves Die Hard, that, along with Spartacus, represent the best and most inventive part of Triumvirat career.