ALBUM REVIEW: Born From Fire – Induction
German progressive metal quintet INDUCTION have had a tough few years in the industry. They released their long-awaited debut album Induction three years ago, before the COVID-19 pandemic halted the majority of their touring plans. However, they clearly used all their unexpected free time to their advantage as they began writing and recording in anticipation for their next record. As a result, their second album Born From Fire was born. This year has brought with it a ton of incredible career opportunities for INDUCTION; the biggest being the band signing with Atomic Fire Records in the early part of 2022. Following on from this, INDUCTION revealed two promotional singles for this album; Queen Of Light and Go To Hell have given fans old and new a true taster of what’s to come on their new record as the band seek to provide a glint of hope and light in this chaotic world we are living in today.
The opening title track contains some powerful, impactful instrumentals which immediately pique your interest. The guitar progression is truly fantastic. But whilst everything about this song is amazing, it has a very sad underlayer. The track pays tribute to the late Alexi Laiho, best known for being the guitarist of Finnish melodic death metal group CHILDREN OF BODOM. Scorched incorporates some almost folk elements into the instrumentals at the beginning of the track. There is an overall feeling of optimism and hope from start to finish, giving listeners a feeling that everything is looking up in the world. As with the previous track, there is a theatrical feel, adding some much needed depth. Fallen Angel contains a catchy riff at the start, before going on to feature more of Craig Cairns‘ incredible vocals. Unlike the first two songs, the chorus is a little lacklustre and unmemorable.
Go To Hell sounds as though it could be a future single from MÖTLEY CRÜE or KISS. The track really nails the solid 80s glam metal inspired elements, bringing you back in time as a result. Embers is up next, which is more forgettable than the last few tracks. Whilst there is no denying that the musicianship is on point, sadly there is nothing about this song that keeps you hooked. Order & Chaos starts off with a riff that has powerful heavy metal influences, before transitioning well into INDUCTION‘s signature symphonic/progressive metal sound. The power metal style vocals from Cairns are just sensational here, not to mention Tim Kanoa Hansen and Marcos Rodriguez‘s guitar work. The Beauty Of Monstrance is easily the weakest of the bunch though. By the time we reach the end of the track’s four minutes and 57 seconds, we feel totally spaced out. Queen Of Light features a thrilling guitar riff at the very start, incorporating some impactful symphonic influences and adding some oomph in the process.
I Am Alive is next and it shows off Cairns‘ vocal talent. However, this is another song which just doesn’t differentiate from any of the others, sounding like a carbon copy of what we have already heard on this album. The opening riff of Ghost Of Silence is very powerful, but the rest of the song just doesn’t have much to it. As we get to Eternal Silence we are surprised to hear a piano introduction. When Cairns‘ vocals kick in, you immediately feel as though you are listening to a track in a musical. The song as a whole is just so beautiful, giving us the slower pace we were waiting for. The final song is Sacrifice (Remastered). This definitely wasn’t the closer we were expecting given the previous track. Musically it is not a bad song, it’s just not great – an underwhelming finish.
Ultimately, whilst INDUCTION‘s new album has a lot of fantastic elements, it also contains its fair amount of lacklustre ones too. By the end of Born From Fire, you can really tell that this is only the band’s second proper body of work; it just seems so underdeveloped. Whilst INDUCTION have successfully created a range of impactful starter riffs throughout this release, we feel like they should have given attention to the lyrical content and chorus melodies instead – Born From Fire would have a bit more lasting power that way.
Rating: 5/10
Born From Fire is set for release on November 25th via Atomic Fire Records.
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