Band:	Magnitude 9
Album:	Decoding The Soul
Style:	Power metal, Progressive metal
Release date:	January 26, 2004
A review by:	Malcolm

01. New Dimension
02. Lies Within The Truth
03. Facing The Unknown
04. To Find A Reason
05. Walk Through The Fire
06. Dead In Their Tracks
07. Changes
08. Torn
09. Thirty Days Of Night
10. Sands Of Time
11. Relay Torque [Japanese bonus]

I know I have said earlier that I'm no fan of Progressive music, I can't say why, but we all have our own reasons.
But even me can change from time to time, and now it has happen, again.
I have found a Progressive album that I like.
It's the new Magnitude 9 album, "Decoding the Soul" I have got stuck with this time.
I also know that my fellow reviewers here on Metal Storm like them too, so I'm taking a step into a great group of people.

Haha, well, enough of that now, let's get started.
I'm a total stranger to Magnitude 9, I have never heard them or heard of them before, so have that in mind.
The things I find good here, is that the songs are very well done, and catchy, both the writing part and the production part, that together with the strong and solid sound that Magnitude 9 have does the album very good.
And that they are very good technically, but it's no newcomers we are dealing with.
"Decoding the Soul" is the third release of the USA based band.
With the unbelievable Mr. Rob Johnson behind the guitar, and he is spreading great riffs around him and with a singer like Corey Brown that have a smooth and very strong voice can't be bad, it just can't be.
And that the bass player also plays in Artension doesn't do it worst, that's one of all Progressive band I ever liked.
So I guess it's quite normal that I compare them to Artension too, and by doing that I'm compare to Progressive bands that it's driven on two different ways, Magnitude 9 by the guitar master Johnson and Artension by the Keyboard master Vitalij Kuprij.
I see a connection between the bands, but still they separate from each other quite much.
Can't tell you who's best.

As I said, I find the album good and very well done. But still I can't see a masterpiece, it's something missing, but I don't know what, it's just a feeling I get.
It might be my lack of experience from this kind of music that's plays a big role too.
But even I can see that Mr. Johnson is a very good guitar player, but he shall not be praised alone, the whole band is doing a great job here.

Unfortunately, since this is my first contact with them, I can't say what ever the album is better or worst then the previous one, I know though that "Reality in Focus" got really good review worldwide (and here on Metal Storm too). And if that album was in the same spirit as this one, I guess I have missed another great album.

But all fans of Magnitude's two other albums shouldn't be disappointed, and if you are, I really want to hear those two.
And all fans of Progressive music in general, such as Dream Theater, Artension, Vanden Plas etc, this is for you!!

Favorite Songs: "New Dimension" & "Walk Through the Fire" is the one I can tell that made the biggest impression on me, but still there isn't any bad songs here.