4.0 excellent

Nick Greer STAFF | August 15th 07

Minus the Bear's Planet of Ice is an unwelcome yet surpringly impressive departure from their patented hammer-on clean tone style. Here, the guitar riffs are not repeated as background music but are much more of a driving force in the songwriting. The synth is a presence as well and make the songs feel like prog anthems, big guitar and all, instead of sensitive indie songs. There are throwback moments, but most of this album is inventive and new. I like the old Minus the Bear and I like the new Minus the Bear. If only they could combine the emotion and songwriting of the old with the progression and production of the new; then we'd have something a classic. 4 Bumps | Bump

4.5 superb

Scott Smith | May 24th 08

Planet of Ice by, Minus the Bear is a remarkable effort and jump from their previous full length Menos El Oso. Trading in their happy go lucky riffs in for some darker, ambiant tones MtB have brought their vison to ears. Throwin Shapes and Knights will keep the old listeners around with their catchy ear candy, but songs such as Lotus and Double Vision Quest contain a more prog sound with Lotus clocking in as one of their longest songs to date. There is some wrong though with this album, the songs Knights is just another MtB song, the only thing that saves it is the half way point when the guitars start to soar. Throwin' Shapes also should of just been on Menos El Oso, just re-hashed mateiral. All and all though this is a very nice improvement for the boys in MtB and I cannot wait to hear their next album concieved. 1 Bumps | Bump

4.0 excellent	djejew | June 19th 09
This is what Menos el Oso would have sounded like if every song were awesome. Nearly everysong drags you in and mesmerizes you with intricate guitar parts and damn fine pedal work. "Lotus" walks on the border of Pink Floyd while "Dr. L'Ling" pulls you into the tension the lyrics describe. This is a band playing their 'A' game and it works. Bump

4.0 excellent	Brien C. Stevenson | June 17th 09
Arguably the bands magnum opus, Planet of Ice further expands on the band's musical stylings. The album is a catchy, fun listen, but never loses the same quirky sense of musicianship these guys seem to possess. After a release like this, the mark has been set high by these guys for a follow-up, but it sounds like they're probably up to the task. Bump

5.0 classic

Adrian Hertzberg | May 8th 09

I think I owe some of my intense love of this album to the circumstances under which I went through my first phase of listening to it. My love for music was growing at a rapid pace: I was exiting the "classic-rock purist" period of my life. I was hanging around with the stereotypical indie-kid who was blowing my mind with tonnes of music recs (My Bloody Valentine, Modest Mouse, Radiohead, GY!BE, Neutral Milk Hotel to name but a few of the many essentials I was missing at the time). I was in my "get-stoned-listen-to-complete-albums" phase (who am I kidding, like I've left that). And lastly, I had just gotten the most bitchin', high-tech, expensive, noise-cancellation headphones as a Christmas present. All of these combined to form the perfect atmosphere to lisen to Minus the Bear. This album blew (and continues to blow...haha) my mind. It's catchy and pop-y in some respects, but musically diverse and intriguing. As a guitar-player who was boxed into the pentatonic mode of riffing and soloing, this album did wonders for my playing. Each time I listen to this album, I'm taken away to a better place. One where music is the wine that fills the empty cup of silence. I love this album. And while I'm sure I've overblown it quite a bit (like I said, it may be that the circumstances made the music for me), this is a fantastic album and worthy of a full listen from anybody who is a fan of music, or for that matter, anybody alive. Bump

4.0 excellent

camdizzle | December 29th 07

I was a little surprised to see the track-listing for Planet of Ice had no silly song titles like older gems such as "Hey! Is that a Ninja up There?" or "Monkey!!! Knife!!! Fight!!!" The song titles weren't the only thing that had changed about Minus the Bear. The album's sound is noticeably more solemn, mature, and (dare I say) cold compared to it's older, more playful stuff. Planet of Ice really is the perfect way to describe the new sound. The opening track [Burying Luck] starts the album off with a song about watching as some guy takes his luck, his money, and his girl and the hopelessness of the situation. Most of the album follows this sort of theme throughout: the shock of realizing your best years are gone (cross the border man), replaced by a cold, patterned existence. Though much different, and much more solemn, I feel it is a much more developed sound musically. Planet of Ice seems to trade it's signature upbeat tunes with its unique tapping style guitars for much more developed, somewhat progressive, sounds. The heavier emphasis on the synthesizer and keyboards opens up many new doors musically for the band, and the result is some of the best song-writing they've ever produced. I would have to say this is already my favorite Minus the Bear album. Bump