Rob Johnson is the supremely
talented guitarist of progressive melodic metal band MAGNITUDE
9.The band released their third album 'Decoding The Soul'
earlier in 2004 which has seen unanimous praise from the worlds press.
VirtuosityOne.com caught up with Rob to discuss the new album, the new
band and his solo works and much more!
 Hi
Rob, thanks for agreeing to this interview.
Thank You Andy, I'm happy to do it , and your site looks great!
Magnitude 9 have just released their
third album Decoding The Soul, how has the reaction been to it so far?
Its been great, Its not as PROG sounding as our last cd , but still
there are those elements of prog , neoclassical & metal all together.
On this cd we tried to focus more on SONGS. There is still shredding solos
, but the songs are more mature & we think more to the point as far
as hooks, etc.
We want to reach a wider audinece than ONLY prog or shred
fans , Of course we want to reach those people, but we wanted to display
a complete package on this cd.
What did the band set out to achieve
on 'Decoding The Soul'?
Well, really, just to NOT repeat our last cd, we wanted to make sure the
songs were the most improtant element, rather than just the " playing
" aspects. So the songs are there, and so is the playing.
We sometimes get compared to DREAM THEATER / SYMPHONY X, Which
is great , but we sound nothing like those amazing bands, They are GREAT,
but we want our own identity as a METAL band. So I guess we are a bit
more reserved & more commercial.
The bands sound has become more refined
over the course of the three albums, is the bands sound now where you
saw it when the band was conceived?
I think we are growing as people, a band & song writers. We
try not to repeat ourselves. I think with any band , you change a bit
from album to album, Im sure our next cd will be a bit different as well.
What is particularly impressive is that
the band sound has evolved quite a bit since 'Chaos To Control', yet the
sound, or should I say, style has remained true to the original vision.
How difficult is it to keep the sound and ideas fresh yet not different
to the extreme where it loses fans?
Well, its a hard balance really at times, we love to do the prog
sounding stuff, yet we are also fans of less prog bands like TNT , QUEENSRYCHE
etc. So, We try to fuse all of our influences & those elents into
our songs.
We are happy with the response our debut cd CHAOS TO CONTROL recieved
, Yet , the songs now we are writing are much strong & more focused,
more mature I think.
 How
did the writing sessions for 'Decoding The Soul' take place?
What happens is, The song [music] starts with me, I get ideas,
demo them with a drum machine, arrange the song parts into an actual song
format, then give a CDR to each of the guys, so they can add ideas, learn
the parts etc. Our singer COREY BROWN, writes all of the lyrics &
melodys, But sometimes I will give him titles or themes for songs, then
he will write around those ideas.
Were the songs written at the same time
as you guys were recording them?
No, They were written first, then recorded. We recorded in the
summer & mixed the cd in the fall.
Where did the initial 'vision' for the
band come from?
The vision came from Myself & the singer Corey Brown. I wanted
to start a melodic metal band, I did a few guitar cds, but that was getting
a bit one sided, I wanted to reach more people than just guitar fans,
So I started writing songs. David T. Chastain (head of Leviathan Records)
hooked me up with Corey and a few of the other gus, and we started recording
after that.
Can you give us your take on the Magnitude
9 albums:
 Chaos
To Control
Our debut, Recorded with a small budget, at different times over
a 8 month period, Has some good songs & playing on it . This debut
cd was recorded before we ever got a deal. I paid for the recording costs,
etc. Then sent it to labels. It got picked up fast. It was a solid debut
release we think for 1998. Prog/Power metal was starting to make a comeback
in the late 90s, so it was a good time to release the cd. It is now released
on INSIDEOUT/SPV in EUROPE & on AVALON/MARQUEE in JAPAN , and you
can order it at www.amazon.com
 Reality
In Focus
Our 2nd CD and a BIG step foward for us. The songs are better,
the playing is better. This cd got alot of good reviews & earned us
many more fans. I'm still proud of the cd, Although we still had a small
budget, so I still always think the recording mix could have been better
if we had more money. But for what we had and for what it is, we are really
proud of this cd. Some people still says its our BEST cd out of the 3
we have released. More prog & more shred than our other cds.
Decoding The Soul
Our new cd / current cd. I'm really proud of this cd. Although
its not as PROG or SHREDDING as our others, The songs & MIX are so
much better, The cd I have always wanted to record. Its heavy in spots,
melodic, shredding in spots, and over all a good representaion of the
band at where we are NOW in 2004.
You have released several solo albums.
How different is the task of writing for a solo album as opposed to writing
for a Magnitude 9 album?
Solo Guitar cds are fun. But I prefer writing vocal songs &
being in a band I think much more. In a band situation, Its cool to get
input from the other players, It makes the end result sound a lot different
than if you would have written & played everything your self.
 What
do you aim for with your solo albums?
I guess just to get my guitar playing heard , and have fun. Solo Guitar
cds are kind of ...well....no...ALOT self Indulgent :) So, when I recorded
those cds, It was just fun to cut loose I guess. My favorite & best
solo guitar cd is : GUITARCHITECTURE It can be found at www.guitar9.com
(click album cover on right).
Gear, what guitars and pickups do you
use? Are you instruments customised in anyway?
Yes, Im endorsed with IBANEZ & DIMARZIO, As well as SIT STRINGS &
ROCKTRON amps, Rob Nishida at IBANEZ is great, He & the LA CUSTOM
shop at IBANEZ in HOLLYWOOD, CA have built me a few AWSOME custom 7 STRING
guitars to my specs , And STEVE BLUCHER at DIMARZIO has made me a few
custom guitar pickups as well.
What does a 7-string guitar give you
(beside the obvious extra string) that a 6 string doesn't?
I guess its just more tones, more choices, a different feel, etc. I've
been playing a 7 STRING now for 10 years,
Its just great knowing that you have a bit more tone & sound options
to create from with that extra string & frequency.
Does it require a change of your playing
style or approach to the instrument?
Not really. I remember the first time I played a 7 string when I bought
my first one back in 1994, It was strange , But in 1 week , I was used
to it . I have 3 seven string guitars. My six string guitars are: 2 classical
guitars , 1 acoustic electric guitar , 1 GIBSON LES PAUL, 1 IBANEZ 5 STRING
BASS.
Amplification, I would hazard a guess
and say that you are a rack guy. If this is the case whats in your rack
case? If not then what are you using?
I like so many amps , from BOOGIE TO MARSHALL TO LINE 6. But the one Im
using now & have been for a few years is the ROCKTRON VOODOO VALVE.
Its just a really cool , easy amp to use , with SPEAKER SIMULATORS, GREAT
TONES, GREAT EFFECTS.
What sort of frequency ranges do you
look for in your amps?
I like a smooth lead tome with lots of sustain , And a heavy sound for
chords , riffs , that CUTS through.
 Are
you a tube power amp guy? If so which, EL34, 6L6's. Etc and why?
I like it all baby , :) TUBE...solid state. I've played most every kind
of AMP , and I think each one has something to offer. So I can go either
way with TUBES or SOLID STATE ..... Yes , I know I'm wishy washy :)
Effects, how do you like to use them
and any particular favorite units?
I dont like that much off effects, But I do like a touch of CHORUS on
the heavy guitar parts for seperation,
& maybe a hair delay / reverb on the solos.
Overall what do you look for in your
tone?
I want it to be UNIQUE, But thats hard to do I think :) The most
UNIQUE tones I still hear are RONNI LE TEKRO of TNT and ZAKK WYLDE. I
like a heavy sustained tone that cuts through.
Who were your early influences and what
effect did they have on you or your playing?
EDDIE VAN HALEN : He made me first want to pick up the guitar. He made
it look fun & he was always smiling when he played. His tone is great
too, EDDIE still rocks!
YNGWIE MALMSTEEN : Awesome player. He made me really want to master the
CHOPS! His tone is amazing, his vibrato is THE BEST, Still one of my TOP
3 !!!
STEVE VAI : Great tone, great melody, great songwriter!
RONNI LE TEKRO of TNT : Amazing tone, A great player, great melodys &
he can shred when he wants. He deserves more respect, Amazing !
AL DIMEOLA : One of the ALL TIME GUITAR masters! Great at EVERYTHING!!!
I wish I could be 1/4 as good as AL :)
 What
current bands out there do you like and get a kick out of?
I like : SHINEDOWN Great melodic nu metal band that can play &
write. EVERGREY Amazing prog/power metal with chops. ARCH ENEMY Brutally
heavy ...but they can shred & play great!! THE DARKNESS I get a kick
out of them, I like them cause they have the BALLS to do what they want
to do & are haVing fun doing it, It reminds me of 80s music, when
music was FUN.
What do you think the current state
of progressive metal is like?
Its great, Its getting bigger & better every year. I hope MTV
will play some of it now with the return of HEADBANGERS BALL.
What do you/the band hope to achieve
in 2004?
To reach more fans & listeners, Start writing for our next cd
What plans do you have for the remainder
of the year?
Enjoy time with my family , demo more songs And I have a shred guitar
lesson video out called :
ROB JOHNSON - " SHRED TACTICS", You can ORDER it now from http://www.chopsfromhell.com
Hey & they accept PAYPAL too :) Go buy it :)
Anything else you would like to tell
the readers of virtuosityone.com?
Thanks for reading this interview. PLEASE check out my cd's sometime,
solo & with MAGNITUDE 9, and check out my guitar lesson video if youd
like to learn some of my licks/ideas [STRING SKIPPING SWEEPING LEGATO
ARPEGGIOS , PICKING , ETC]. Also please Email
me anytime at :
Rob Johnson / Magnitude
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