REALITY IN FOCUS

While most prog-metal bands are immediately compared to Dream Theater to see if they are different or just a clone, Magnitude 9 manages not to sound like DT. OK, maybe they do sound a little like DT from the When Day and Dream Unite. In all honestly, Magnitude 9 actually sounds like another prog-metal stalwart, Fates Warning from the Parallels era. At times I half expect them to launch into Point of View!

I'm not saying this is a bad thing. Corey Brown has a great voice for this style of music. The rest of the band is comprised of talented musicians that can definitely hold their own with other leaders in the prog-metal genre. The only real issue here is that the band doesn't really do anything to differentiate themselves from groups like Fates Warning. They do provide a credible cover of Iron Maiden's classic Flight of Icarus, but at the same time there isn't anything that really draws you in immediately. It's just good, high quality metalish prog music. 3.5 stars.