If there is one last big hope for european power metal, then its name is Induction! Induction is led by Tim Hansen (guitars), Kai Hansen’s son, and a few months ago the band released a much praised sophomore record, a real power metal masterpiece, named “Born From Fire”. A few days before New Year’s Day, Myth of Rock, enchanted by the power metal beauty of Induction, came in contact with Tim Hansen and Dominik Gusch (bass) and had a very interesting chat. Dimitris Zacharopoulos made the questions, Tim and Dominik gave the answers, and you can enjoy what was discussed!
Hello Tim and Dominik! Give us a short biography of Induction until now, please.
Tim: Hello Dimitris. Induction was created in 2014 and can be best described as progressive power metal with symphonic influences, creating an epic and heroic atmosphere with catchy and soaring vocals, melodic solos, thunderous drums as well as the massive orchestration created by Peter Crowley. We had a great success already, after releasing our debut album “Induction” in October 2019. Now we have the new album out, which has been mastered by Jacob Hansen. It’s cool to see, that even though we have an almost completely new line-up, it’s still unmistakably Induction, and even better.
Present to us the current line-up of Induction. Do you think that this line-up is the best one that you’ve ever had? Why?
Tim: Absolutely! I believe that the pandemic, in a way, really helped me with taking the time for it. I could not only focus on finding amazing players and musicians, but also people that have the same vision and goals. I think now, we are all sharing a common goal and we all know where to go. That’s very valuable. Marcos Rodriguez, who was previously with Rage, has lots of experience and always some helpful thoughts. He’s also a great songwriter, so we’re looking forward to including him more in the future. Dominik Gusch, our bass player, is not only super talented, but also helps me out a lot with the organization. And then of course, there’s Craig, who I believe is among the best power metal singers of the generation. I’m glad he’s on board with us and he definitely is the perfect fit.
You are now releasing your new, sophomore album. Which are your feelings?
Tim: I’m very excited! The release has been promising before, but now, with it being out, I really can see how much of a difference it is compared to the first record. The media and fans have been overwhelming with positive comments. We’ve been ranked very highly by many magazines and some even call “Born From Fire” the album of the year. That’s very humbling, and I’m happy that so many love this record.
Where would you trace the differences between your debut album and “Born From Fire”?
Tim: First and foremost, I wanted to write an album that is FUN to listen to. Music is about feeling it and if it’s not fun to listen to, or doesn’t touch you, what’s the point? Compared to the debut, “Born From Fire” feels a lot more mature. We focused much more on the vocals finding their place and keeping all the instruments where they SHOULD be. Previously, everything was a little bit over the place, which was also cool, but I think now the music just feels a lot more cohesive and gives you that larger than life feeling. We kept a lot of the old elements, but just did everything better, somehow.
In my opinion, your style is melodic power metal with symphonic and progressive elements. Do you agree with me and why?
Tim: Yes! Melodic is key. I want that people come out of the concert singing our chorus for days. I always love when I totally dive into a song, and that usually, most of the time happens when there’s an absolutely awesome chorus or some super catchy parts. Then the symphonic and progressive elements are the cherry on top, making our music more interesting and dynamic.
Which are the music trademarks of Induction, in your opinion? Why?
Dom: The orchestration arranged by Tim and Peter Crowley is in my opinion the unique selling point of Induction, because it is mighty, monumental and catchy. The other big musical trademark, I think, is that we bring a new wave of fresh riffs and catchy melodies to the power metal genre!
How much easy or difficult is it to be original in the power/prog metal scene in the year 2022?
Tim: I’m not sure.. I think there is a lot of great music and great artists out there. And I also think you don’t have to be very original to make it. What matters is that you stand behind what you do and that you do it not only good, but excellent! Of course being unique always helps, but I think this is easily achieved by just doing what you love! After all, everyone is different.
I like the cover of the new album very much. Give us all the details!
Dom: We wanted to trace the idea with the pharaoh as our mascot, which we included in every artwork since the first single “The Outwitted Consecration”. And since it’s the first album of our new lineup, born out of the pandemic fire, the pharaoh and the artwork had to represent the same.
Tim: Let me add to that. Peter Sallai created the artwork just based on the title! This one was pretty hands-off on my part, and I’m very very happy with how it turned out. And as Dom mentioned, the artwork and album title is a bit of a metaphor for how art and creativity can flourish during hard times. The pandemic put a big dent into the music business, but yet, we had so many amazing music releases due to that.
I read that there is a little tribute to the late Alexi Laiho in the new album. Can you give us some info about that?
Tim: Yes, the song in question is “Embers”, for which we also produced a music video. After hearing of Alexis passing, I was pretty shocked! I rarely consider myself a fan of something, but Alexi was probably the first guitarist where his passing really hit me! So I decided to write Embers, as a tribute to this hero of mine. Embers reflect Alexis influence in me, both in my guitar playing and songwriting and it’s about great heroes and people falling victim to the hands of time. I’m happy with how it turned out and hope I can honour him with it!
Which are your musical influences? Who were your childhood’s music heroes? What music do you listen to today?
Tim: Well, as just mentioned, obviously Alexi Laiho hahaha! I never had many music heroes though. I always loved listening to all kinds of music, beyond metal as well. I still remember how I used to watch MTV all days, writing down all the songs that I liked in a little book. I have always been someone that likes to discover new things and I always appreciated different genres. But for metal, one of the first bands I discovered and learned to love was Judas Priest! Very classical, but very cool. Then I also drifted into the harder metal section until I came full circle back to power metal.
Dom: That’s a funny, because I’m the only guy in the band whose musical background doesn’t come from metal. I grew up listening to 50 Cent, all those 90s and 2000s R’n’B classics and Latin music actually, because my parents used to go dancing Salsa and stuff. But when I was 14, I was finally introduced to Linkin Park and Green Day and after some years I got attached by Djent and Metal Core and when I joined Induction, I got to all these amazing power and heavy metal artists. THANK GOD!
Where do your lyrics refer to? Which feelings of yours do you try to express through your music and lyrics?
Tim: I write about lots of things! Sometimes I don’t even have a particular topic and just put some words with the melody I imagine. Then the lyrical theme just kind of starts forming. I think the way the words sound is often much more important than what they mean, or if it’s lyrically correct. Of course there has to be a cohesive topic, but I believe it gets across better when it’s phonetically nice to listen to. At the moment, I really like writing about love though! It’s cool to think about some interesting none-cheesy ways to do it. That’s actually also what our singer Craig did, with “Ghost Of Silence”, which is about a man falling in love with a ghost.
Do you try to send messages through your music and lyrics? Why?
Tim: Yes, of course. Everyone has something to say and so do I. Some songs are dedicated to certain people. Others just follow a topic that I like. In the end, I think people should listen for themselves and see what valuable lessons or ideals they can get and where they can relate.
Why did you select “Queen of Light” as the first single off the new album? Which are your favorite tracks from the new album? Why?
Dom: We selected “Queen of Light” because it was the best song to present the new musical direction Induction aims for. It’s much more focused on the vocal melodies and their catchiness. For me, my favorite songs are “The Beauty of Monstrance”, because of its progressive and metal core-ish elements. It’s where I come from genre wise, actually. The other tracks I favorize over the rest of the songs are “Scorched” and “Ghost of Silence” because of their instrumentation and the lyrical content.
How do you decide things in the band? Do you work as a democratic team or is it only one person, who takes decisions?
Dom: We definitely take decisions in a democratic way and if there are some disagreements, we always try to decide on what’s the best for Induction and if we can agree on compromises.
You have signed a deal with Atomic Fire Records. How did this record deal come up? Describe your cooperation with Atomic Fire until now, please.
Tim: I originally aimed for us to be with Nuclear Blast. When I got in touch, I found out about the plans of the new label, Atomic Fire. This seemed pretty perfect to me. We’re a growing band and being part of a new label with some of the most professional infrastructure in the market, is very good I thought. So after some dealing and back and forth we found a deal that everyone is happy with. They have done outstanding work so far, I’m happy to be with them.
How did the COVID-19 pandemic and its restrictions affect you as individuals and as a band?
Tim: It was as I mentioned before, a great opportunity to take the time to find the right line-up. Also creatively, it was very inspiring. In a way, for Induction the pandemic came at the exact right time.
Dom: I know this sounds hard, but for me it was actually one of the best things that happened, because otherwise I wouldn’t have joined Induction nor would I’ve seen they’re looking for new members.
You went on tour with Serious Black. How did this tour come up? Which were your feelings for this tour? How do Induction sound in live concerts?
Tim: Right, just with the release of the album, we joined them on a European tour to promote it. It was very fun. Mario, the bass player of Serious Black hit me up at the start of the year and asked that they’d like us to join them as a special guest. The timing was perfect, since the tour start was just with the album release. Now after the tour is over again, from what I’ve overwhelmingly heard: the people were blown away by us. They love our energy on stage. We just have fun and somehow it seems, we’re able to really catch all the people and have them party with us.
What other future plans do you have? Send your message to the fans!
Dom: We have loads of cool plans in stock for our fans and future fans. There’s some more music coming up next year and we’re planning to play more live shows next year!
Tim: We will also try to visit lots of festivals in 2023. Thanks to all the fans that listened to and purchased the album! Your support goes a long way. Most importantly, share the news about “Born From Fire” with your friends!
