Paragon Rob: We have to admit that this is the first time we’ve ever heard material by Magnitude Nine, and we absolutely fell in love with it! 

Rob Johnson: Really? I’m so psyched! That’s really cool!

PR: We would describe your music as a cross between JOURNEY and IRON MAIDEN. 

RJ: That’s cool.

PR: How would you describe your band’s sound?

RJ: Kind of up your alley. We’re definitely melodic metal. A lot of people call us Prog Metal, but I don’t really think our new CD is really Prog Metal, I mean there are some touches of Progressive Metal in there, but yea, we’re in the same category as bands like you said, like DREAM THEATER. A lot of people compare us to FATES WARNING or QUEENSRŸCHE. We’ve even heard some reviews that we sound like TNT a little bit. We got a little 80’s vibe going on.

PR: Who are musical influences and do you model your sound to theirs? How long have you been playing?

RJ: We grew up listening to stuff like YNGWIE MALMSTEEN, DIO, IRON MAIDEN, QUEENSRŸCHE, so we’re influenced a lot by those bands and then we started hearing about DREAM THEATER and we’re definitely influenced by that band too.

PR: How long have you guys been playing?

RJ: Well, the band has been together since 1998. I’m a guitarist, I’ve been playing since I was 12.

PR: For those readers, who, like ourselves, don’t know the history behind Magnitude Nine, could you tell us some information on how the band formed, when, where, etc?

RJ: I formed the band with our singer, Corey Brown, and he used to be in a band called PSYCHODRAMA, and they were kind of like Queensrÿche, and then they broke up and we formed Magnitude Nine and we released our debut album back in ’98, it’s called Chaos To Control. All our releases are on InsideOut Music. Then in 2001 we released our second CD called Reality In Focus and now here in January 2004, is our third CD, Decoding The Soul.

PR: Over the years, has the band gone through any member changes?

RJ: Yea we do have a new bass player. His name is Ian Wringler, and this is his first album with us. Our old bass player, Kevin Chown, plays with UNCLE KRACKER now. 

PR: Will you be touring soon in support of Decoding The Soul? 

RJ: If we can get in on an opening act, we’d like to do that. I doubt we’ll do a little club tour, just because we’re not that known and it’s so expensive to do that, but if we could possibly get on a touring outfit opening for someone like Dream Theater, I think that would help us out a lot. We’ll see if our label hooks us up.

PR: Could you give us some insight as to what your live performances are like?

RJ: To be honest with you, we haven’t really played live too much. ::laughs:: We’re more of a recording band right now. Actually, we all work day jobs too. We still gotta pay the bills. Since we’re still an up-coming band, we played out live so many times with our other bands, and with the state of metal and stuff right now, it’s so expensive to do that, so we pretty much just focus our time on writing and recording, and then when the time comes to play out live, we’re gonna do it. Playing live for us is so expensive.

PR: Like I said, Decoding The Soul is the first time I’ve heard from you guys, but I love the sound that I hear in there. As a guitarist, what gear do you prefer using?

RJ: I’m endorsed with Ibanez Guitars and I use their 7-string guitars. And they have built me a few custom 7-string guitars. And I’m also endorsed with Demarzio Pickups. For amps I use Rocktron Amps. I don’t really use too much effect, other than occasionally I’ll use a Cry Baby Wah Pedal for some of my solos. But usually some effects are added when we’re mixing, like some reverb and delay onto the solos, or maybe a little bit of chorus onto the rhythm parts. So that’s usually added when we mix the album. 

PR: What other bands have you been in? What other musicians have you worked with or collaborated with? 

RJ: Yea I used to work with a band, actually a more heavy metal band, called SADDLEBACK SHARK back in the ‘90s, and our style was kind of like MEGADETH and we played around the Midwest and stuff and we were together for a about five years. 

PR: Musically, are you happy with the point you are at currently or are you still working towards higher goals as far as abilities as a guitarist?

RJ: I’m still definitely working towards higher goals. I don’t think I’m ever satisfied. I think there’s always something more to challenge yourself, and more to learn, and I just want to keep getting better in guitar playing or songwriting. So I think if someone says they’re happy where they’re at, then they’re crazy. ::laughs:: I think there’s always something more to learn. And, musically for the band, hopefully we’ll continue with the band and reach more people, that’s our goal, to become bigger with every album so we reach more people.

PR: As a career musician, is a band like Magnitude Nine what you had always planned on or is there another form of music that you see yourself doing in the future?

RJ: No, to be honest, this is what I’ve always hoped for. I’ve always hoped to be in a metal band with a good singer and a good set of musicians, so I never thought I would be, back when I started playing guitar when I was 12 years old and playing in little bands in high school, I never thought I would be to where I’m at now. Even though we’re not the most famous band in the world, it’s just enough for me to have a CD released. So I’m really fortunate.

PR: As far as the band’s popularity goes, are you satisfied with it, or do you want to make Magnitude Nine a household name someday, like OZZY OSBOURNE?

RJ: Yea, that’d be the ultimate goal, to be a household name. I’m happy with where we’re at right now, but still I’d be even happier if our stuff was on MTV and on the radio everyday, but with the way the music business is, it’s so corporate, and it’s not really based on the fans, but it’s actually based on image and corporate sales and stuff, as far as what audience you’re targeting. Hopefully the music will speak for itself. That’s why this kind of music is so underground still, because it doesn’t really get big backing from MTV and stuff. But I’ll go with just continuing to reach new people with every album.

PR: It’s funny you mention the word “underground,” because that’s what my next question is about. Do you consider yourselves an underground band, or just an unexposed band who needs to be promoted more?

RJ: I think, yea, we’re kind of in-between. I think we’re both kind of underground and underexposed. Seems that we get most of our recognition actually from the Internet, even though we’re on a good label, we’re on InsideOut, and they’re a good metal label for our style of music. It’s still difficult to get exposure if we’re not on the radio and we’re not on MTV so we’re still kind of underground in that aspect and still undiscovered. But just like you, you’ve never really heard of us until now, so like maybe when people read your article, they’ll pick up our CD and tell their friends, and tell their friends, and I think that’s how, I think, the whole phenomenon happens. You’re undiscovered and people find out about you slowly. 

PR: Before you started dealing with contracts and labels, what was your impression of the music industry? A lot of people agree that it becomes more of a business than a hobby once they get involved. Were you disappointed at all when you realized the politics of it all?

RJ: No, actually since I’ve known a lot of people who’d been in bands and had been on labels, I kinda knew what to expect because I’m one of those guys who’s very realistic about the music industry, because that’s what it is, it’s an industry and a business. So I’m kinda realistic. A lot of people forget that I work a day job. So people at my day job don’t understand why I’m on a record label and in stores around the world, and still have to work a day job. But there’s so much politics and so much stuff that goes along with being in a band and being on a label, it’s not as easy as everyone thinks, but I knew it would be like this, so that’s why I’m realistic. That’s what you gotta realize, that hey, even though you’re on a label, people get dropped from labels and still stay underground forever, so if you’re in a band, it’s one in a million that you’ll be successful like METALLICA or NICKELBACK or Queensrÿche.

PR: No matter how fun it is, it’s still a job, right?

RJ: Exactly right.

PR: What was the inspiration for Decoding The Soul? Is there a theme or a specific message behind it?

RJ: Well a lot of the album was written after 9/11, so the whole album has a theme that’s kind of like a realistic outlook on life in general. If you read the lyrics in the CD, they’re pretty much geared toward like everyone has a vision and spirit, not to get too political, but the lyrics are pretty positive on the album. Our songs pretty much just talk about challenges in life, and stuff like that. We don’t really write about fiction, or demons and wizards and stuff. We write about everyday situations in life. I think you can listen to the CD and everybody can understand it because everybody has probably had similar situations.

PR: It’s pretty upbeat compared to some of the stuff out there too.

RJ: Yea, we don’t really write a lot of gloomy songs. We kinda write how it is and stay positive and that kinda stuff.

PR: That’s a great attitude to have, especially as a musician. Being unexposed and everything, a lot of people really grasp that “underground scene” when they’re an underground band and sort of go off into that darker side of writing and everything. It’s kinda hard to stay positive and you guys do a really good job of it.

RJ: Right, exactly. Thanks, that’s what we try to do. We just write the music that we would want to listen to ourselves.

PR: Did you do anything different with this album while creating it, lyrically or musically? Is it very different from your previous releases?

RJ: Yes, a little more straight ahead. Our first two albums are a little bit more technical, a little bit more progressive, meaning a lot more changes in the songs and stuff like that. This album is a little bit more melodic, it’s got a lot more metal-type songs on it. So for this album, we got away from being so Progressive. It’s still Prog Metal but I think it’s a little bit catchier. We tried to make the songs catchier so that not only people who listen to Prog Metal can enjoy it, but hopefully other people. Just as an example, maybe some girls might now enjoy it instead of just guys that play guitar. ::laughs:: We’re just trying to reach a wider spectrum than only musicians. So we tried to keep that in mind on this album, to make the songs more important than just showing off how fast you can play guitar solos.

PR: Actually, the guitar work on the album is phenomenal. I always look out for really good, up-and-coming guitar players. Some of the solos I heard on the album just blew me away. They were very impressive.

RJ: Wow, thank you very much!

PR: What did you do to get your skills up to that level, picking certain scales, how to get your speed where it’s at, etc?

RJ: Well, I started playing years ago, you know, when I was 12, and back then I took a lot of lessons and I practiced. I didn’t get my driver’s license until I was 19, and I didn’t get a job until I was 19, all I did was practice guitar, sometimes 8 and 10 hours a day, and that really helped me when I was a teenager to get my chops up and so once I got in my 20’s I played in bands. I’ve always just practiced a lot, learned a lot of scales, tried to learn licks from other guitar players, and that kind of stuff. I’m glad you liked it. I appreciate that. Thanks. That makes it all worthwhile when you hear that people enjoy it. That’s what makes it all worthwhile. Doesn’t matter if you sell a million albums.

PR: We wish you the best of luck with everything! In closing, is there anything you’d like to tell our readers? Inspiration, plugs, etc?

RJ: Whoever’s reading this out there in NJ, we just hope they pick up our new CD. If they’re into melodic metal and into stuff like Dream Theater and Malmsteen and bands like that, and Fates Warning. If they like good quality melodic metal, I hope they pick up our new CD because we’d love to get some new fans in NJ, that’d be great!