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Platypus - Ice Cycles
Inside Out Music)2000 IOMCD056

    My promo copy of this CD had nothing but the album cover and a 
tracklisting, which certainly prevented the album from getting a more 
negative review than it would have otherwise. Ice Cycles, to me, 
seemed to be a well-produced document of a youthful, somewhat amatuerish band 
trying to find a sound. As most of you probably know, Platypus are anything 
but a bunch of newcomers. Instead, their lineup consists of John Myung (Dream 
Theater), Derek Sherinian (Alice Cooper, Kiss, Dream Theater, Planet X), Ty 
Tabor (Kings X), and Rod Morgenstein (Dixie Dregs, Steve Morse Band, 
Rudess/Morgenstein Project). I am glad that I was ignorant of the obviously 
prestigious pedigree of the musicians, because it allowed me to see more of 
the positive aspects of the band.

    Although there are certainly elements of all the members' other bands, 
Tybor certainly seems to have the most significant influence in the 
songwriting. I must confess I was never blown away with King's X, so that 
perhaps explains why I find this admittedly comparable release mediocre. 
Although most songs have interesting elements, the banal vocal melodies and 
occasionally laughable "virtuoso solos" (laughable because they feel forced 
and obligatory, despite certainly being virtuosic - Sherinian is the main 
culprit here).

    Additionally, many of the songs seem to remind me of a more progressive 
version of nu-metal. "Oh God" seems to tap the same power ballad feel that 
such bands inevitably succumb, as does "Cry" (though redeemed by an 
excellent, momentous instrumental midsection). "Better Left Unsaid" falls 
prey to this as well, but the band somehow pulls it off convincingly, while 
the "The Tower" and "Gone" both have excellent instrumental sections but turn 
to shameful mediocrity in the weak vocal sections. Perhaps the most 
successful composition is "I Need You," which sports a strong Beatles 
influence integrated into the modern progressive hard rock format. The 
instrumental "25" works well also, showing the band doing the pop-prog rock 
that they seem to do best. The album ends with an obligatory 10-minute 
instrumental epic - a VERY obligatory 10-minute instrumental epic that seems 
like a wankfest with no purpose but to kill time until the album reaches the 
45-minute mark. The entire piece seems to be composed of directionless, 
though not always completely worthless, fragments strung together haphazardly 
in hopes that everything will just work out in the end.

    That aside, Platypus have potential to be something good, if they stop 
trying to simultaneously be sudsy melodic pop-stars and robotic, tasteless 
virtuosos. King's X fans should definitely check them out, but I would expect 
their appeal to be otherwise limited. ~Adam Murphree~ EER-MUSIC.com


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