REALITY IN FOCUS

For fans of intense, ambitious, prog-edged metal a la Dream Theater, Queensryche, Fates Warning, and Iron Maiden, Magnitude 9 is a high-impact force. Building on the raw energy and solid songwriting of their debut, "Chaos To Control," "Reality In Focus" (appropriately enough) shows their sound becoming significantly more real, more in focus, more immediate. With powerful rhythms, soaring vocals, weighty riffs, and effective, unintrusive keyboard accents, cuts like the extended, prog-touched "Afterlife," the power metal pace of "Temples Of Gold," and the masterfully heavy (and generally faithful) cover of Maiden's classic "Flight Of Icarus" will impress a variety of metal tastes.

As instrumentalists, the band flat-out rocks, simultaneously succeeding as ensemble players and individual standouts. Everything is brilliantly tight, and some of the unison lead lines with guitarist Rob Johnson and keyboardist Joseph Anastacio Glean are absolutely spectacular. Especially notable are the breakout performances of guitarist Johnson and singer Corey Brown, who establish themselves as true metal heroes. Brown's emotion, range, and power carry the force of his obvious influences, Geoff Tate (Queensryche) and Bruce Dickinson (Iron Maiden); indeed, hearing Brown sing "Flight Of Icarus" might give you serious chills. On guitar, Johnson is a tasteful shredder with unique personality, combining the precise neo-classical arpeggiation of Yngwie Malmsteen with the harmonic sense of Queensryche's dual-axe solos and the kinds of loose, menacing undercurrents that mark George Lynch's hottest playing.

Despite its generally song-oriented production, "Reality In Focus" is still a few high-grade hooks short of being truly essential for a wide metal audience. But with such sophisticated songs and magnificent performances, the album is a striking success, and we might as well jump on the Magnitude 9 bandwagon now.