Planet of Ice

Planet of Ice

Following the success of <i>Highly Refined Pirates</i>' forward-thinking guitar gymnastics and <i>Menos El Oso</i>'s groundbreaking glitch rock, Seattle's premier pop revisionists Minus The Bear dug into some of rock music's most ostentatious years for inspiration for their 2007 album, <i>Planet of Ice</i>. The title alone conjures images of Yes's <i>Relayer</i> album art, and the influence of the elder statesmen's symphonic scope can be felt throughout <i>Planet of Ice</i>'s lush and intricate arrangements. You can also hear the band channel the ominous instrumental interplay of Lamb-era Genesis on "Dr. L'Ling," the deceptively savvy musicianship and pristine production of Steely Dan on "White Mystery," and the tightrope walk between ethereal space and pre-metal riffage of Pink Floyd's "Echoes" on "Lotus." Not that Minus The Bear completely abandoned their earlier style elements of <i>Menos El Oso</i>'s sample-driven technique can be heard on the lead single "Knights." But the heart of the song ultimately belongs to the haunting Fripp-esque guitar lines spliced between verses. After being out of print on record since 2010, Suicide Squeeze is proud to reintroduce <i>Planet of Ice</i>'s creative marriage of classic motifs and modern musical wizardry with a vinyl remaster courtesy of Bernie Grundman.