Coming off the three biggest albums of their career, Triumph faced mounting pressure upon the release of 1984’s Thunder Seven. Yet the group’s lucky seventh album met and exceeded even the highest expectations. The album's front half was loaded with potential hit singles. “Spellbound,” “Rock Out, Roll On,” “Cool Down,” and “Time Goes By” could have easily become breakout songs on any other album, but here they only serve as the lead-up to “Follow Your Heart,” which became the highest-charting tune up to that point of Triumph’s career. That song shows why this Canadian trio were one of the most well-liked bands of their era: they combined elements of almost every great hard rock stadium hit from the early '80s, from Def Leppard to Journey to Mötley Crüe. Perhaps because they used the start of the album to prove their total mastery of the hit single, the band let themselves experiment on the second half. “Time Canon” is an a cappella piece reminiscent of vintage Queen, while the instrumentals “Midsummer’s Daydream” and “Little Boy Blues” form a showcase for the underappreciated virtuosity of guitarist Rik Emmett.