DECODING THE SOUL

Progressive metal/melodic metal band Magnitude Nine are back with their third album, and guitarist Rob Johnson shows no sign at all of slowing his band down. In fact they have got heavier, although ex-Psycho Drama frontman Corey Brown is more than up to the task. This album has been co-produced by Michael Vescera who has sung in various bands, including Yngwie Malmsteen's Rising Force. I am sure that this last connection has helped as there are times when Rob's solo work is just as fluid and rapid but the difference between this and Rising Force is that here the guitars make sense within the song and don't overpower what is going on.

The result is an album that needs to be played at top volume to get the most of it, with melodic rock songs and great harmony vocals vying for place with some shredding guitar. He is fast, but while that is often his main form of attack within solos he can play with restraint when required. In "Walk Through The Fire" they even have a song that could find itself played on rock radio, a heavier darker style of rock that is also extremely melodic, as if Europe had cranked the guitars up even more.

Solid, enjoyable with some great guitar work, this is an album that gives prog metal a good name.

Originally appeared in Feedback #78, April 2004