Minus The Bear – ‘Infinity Overhead’ Review

Words: Jaimie Crowder

Minus The Bear is a five piece indie rock band hailing from Seattle. The quintet is made up of Jake Snider (vocals and guitar), Alex Rose (synths and vocals), Erin Tate (drums), David Knudson (guitar) and Cory Murchy (bass). With their latest album, ‘Infinity Overhead’, they go back to their roots and leave fans anxious for more.

Their latest instalment is made complete with relentless guitar riffs and hypnotic synthesiser overtones.  The album opens with “Steel and Blood” which starts the album off with crisp, pulsing, drums and vocals with a smooth swinging flow. “Lies and Eyes” switches it up. With a bouncing guitar/synth melody, the low-key vocals tie the song together.

“Diamond and Lightning” is my personal favorite from this album. The slow, but steady drums and guitar combined with the soothing vocals leaves me in awe every time I listen. This song puts me in a trance that makes my heart slowly flutter with every note. “Toska” delivers harmonies and sentimental lyrics such as “lie down with me, let me show you why, let me show you all the ways I need you.”

With an unplugged sound, “Listing”, is upbeat and refreshing with light synths that soar through the higher ranges offering a new, distinguished tone. “Heaven is a Ghost Town” captures you with its haunting melodies, and then drags you in with a devastating perspective on salvation and the afterlife.

“Empty Party Rooms” starts with just drums and slowly climaxes into a musical composition with group vocals and a clean guitar riff cutting through the song at just the right time. In “Zeros” the catchy lyrics are about spending your entire life just to make money and serves as a reminder to live life to the fullest.

“Lonely Gun” puts the synth in the spotlight with a shredding solo that marries perfectly with the slowed drums and harmonic vocals that lead to a heart stopping breakdown.  ‘Infinity Overhead’ closes out with “Cold Company”, which incorporates a slick guitar intro, chant-like vocals, and pounding drums to form a song that captures the band’s sound to a tee.

With ‘Infinity Overhead’ as the fifth addition to their discography, Minus the Bear prove why they’ve been around since 2001, and reinforce that they aren’t going away any time soon. This album brings the galactic vibe to the indie rock sound to make a style that Minus the Bear have well and truly mastered.

Overall Rating: 8/10

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