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Magnitude 9 - Reality In Focus

geoviangeovian Earth Orbit
edited December 2022 in Year-2000

Magnitude 9 were a talented prog metal band with band membership located in Ohio and also Colorado who were active during the late 90's and early 2000's, this article refers to their second album 'Reality In Focus'.

Magnitude 9 - Reality In Focus
ARTIST: Magnitude 9
ALBUM: Reality In Focus
LABEL: Inside Out America
SERIAL: IOMACD 2020
YEAR: 2000
CD REISSUE: Discogs Reissue List

COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: Flag USA
LINEUP: Corey Brown - vocals * Rob Johnson - guitars, keyboards, production * Joseph Anastacio Glean - keyboards * Kevin Chown - bass * John Homan - drums

TRACK LISTING: 01 No Turning Back * 02 What My Eyes Have Seen * 03 Far Beyond Illusion * 04 Afterlife * 05 The End Of Days * 06 Lost Along The Way * 07 Flight Of Icarus * 08 Temples Of Gold * 09 Quiet Desperation * 10 Mind Over Fear

WEBLINKS: NA

Background

Magnitude 9 were a talented prog metal band with band membership located in Ohio and also Colorado who were active during the late 90's and early 2000's. The band members themselves were all highly proficient and technical musicians, their three albums between 1998 and 2004 are a living testament to that fact. This article refers to their second album 'Reality In Focus'.

Magnitude 9 Band pic 2000

The Songs

As mentioned, this lot were highly technical and compare similarly to Dream Theater and Fates Warning during this same timeframe. The guitar and keyboard work is a highlight, while the underpinning rhythm section is exceptional.

For me, the album highpoint is the 9 minute epic 'Afterlife'. When technical American prog metal is ever discussed, this song should be at the forefront of the conversation. Truly outstanding stuff. Not far behind is the 6 minute bombast of 'Temples Of Gold', everyone has bought their A-Game to this track. In fact, it's the longer tracks which seem to hold the attention more than most, 'Mind Over Fear' at 7 minutes completing the trifecta.

I'd also go so far as to say that singer Corey Brown sounds uncannily like Bruce Dickinson on 'Flight Of Icarus', and I guess that comparison is warranted considering this is a cover of the Iron Maiden song. Opener 'No Turning Back' is also a song entitled to repeat play, this one more in keeping with 80's melodic metal, pretty damn impressive if you ask me.

In Summary

This is a band we should have written about back in our Heart Of The Rock days, there really wasn't any excuse because I was listening to them that far back, Magnitude 9 released one more album, 2004's 'Decode The Soul' which I've been advised is not as OTT as this album (yes I haven't heard that one), but I'm still going to check it out.

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Video

Afterlife

Temples Of Gold

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Comments

  • CandymanCandyman Australia

    Its been a few years since I've listened to this and will have to give it a crack shortly

  • CandymanCandyman Australia

    Yep, listened to it last night and its one I should have been playing more often over the years

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