Meet Arc of Triumph

Arc of Triumph are an alternative rock band from Leeds, known for their cinematic soundscapes, rich harmonies and a lyrical obsession with the rise and fall of empires – both personal and political. 

Formed by long-time collaborators, Simon Elvin and Rory Holl, what started in 2017 as a studio experiment quickly snowballed into something bigger. With no name and no fully fleshed out agenda, they began writing and recording tracks that would eventually become their debut, self-titled album.

The first chapter: Arc of Triumph

This first album dropped the same year the project began. Pulling from progressive rock, with synth-driven textures and layered percussion, Arc of Triumph cemented their signature intricate and atmospheric style.

The record digs deep into cycles of collapse and rebirth, exploring how societies seem doomed to repeat the mistakes of the past. Think empires, egos, and demagogues, wrapped in intertwining synth and guitar lines, with harmony-rich vocals.

Rampjaar

In 2021, Arc of Triumph returned with their second full-length studio album, Rampjaar (Dutch for ‘disaster year’). The songs were written just before the Covid pandemic, but eerily captured the mood that followed: anxiety, disconnection, and the mental weight of isolation. 

With lockdown in full effect, Simon and Rory recorded most of the album remotely, trading files and fragments from their respective home studios. The result was a synth-soaked examination of struggle, mental turmoil and futility, with lyrics drawing inspiration from Hamlet, Moby Dick, the story of Johan de Witt, and a crumbling relationship with nature. 

Kind of live…kind of alive

To bring Rampjaar to life, Rory and Simon put together a 27-minute performance film: Kind of live…kind of alive. Shot and recorded separately during lockdown, the film blends live renditions with abstract visuals and eerie soundscape interludes. The mood is haunting, with a palpable sense of fear and isolation. 

Released in 2021, Kind of live…kind of alive treads the line between gig and concept piece, successfully reflecting the collective dark mood and heightened anxiety of the time. 

The New Adventures of the Superhumans / In My Arms

Fast forward to 2023 and the release of double a-side The New Adventures of the Superhumans / In My Arms. Here, the band throws punches at billionaire greed, ecological malaise, rampant tech monopolies, and an amoral political class drunk on power. 

Live band and Nothing Works

In 2025, Arc of Triumph returned with Nothing Works, written and recorded by Simon and Rory over 2024/2025. Nothing Works promises to push their sound even further, while diving into themes of personal disillusionment, hypocrisy and the way we mistreat each other within a fractured society, with the same intensity we’ve come to expect. 

For the first time, Arc of Triumph will be hitting the stage in 2025, with friends Jamie and JP Robinson joining on bass and drums for live gigs. Expect to hear favourites from the first two records, plus tracks from the new album. 

Arc of Triumph are also re-releasing their debut album for a special, remaster – updated, revisited and reimagined for 2025.