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Much like 2010’s Omni, Minus The Bear’s latest release, Infinity Overhead, should come with a warning label. No, I don’t mean your typical “Parental Advisory,” but maybe something more along the lines of “WARNING: This album may inspire unexpected sexy times. Listen with caution.” However this time, though the music may sound just as risqué, the band added few dark twists to the mix.
“Steel And Blood” kicks things off smoothly but violently. While the synthesizers happily beep and the guitars chug along, it’s easy to overlook the gruesome car crash imagery in the lyrics: “She’s bleeding out, call an ambulance/These shaking hands are soaked in red.” “Lonely Gun” acts in a similar manner. While the album could’ve been plucked directly from Omni with its distorted dance-funk sound, its ass-shaking beats disguise some morbid themes. The song was written during what vocalist Jake Snider referred to as a “deep depression,” and he found himself thinking about the lonely state of an unused gun.
Infinity Overhead also has a few mood-changers mixed in. “Diamond Lightning,” from whose lyrics the album takes its name, slows things down Planet Of Ice-style. It features ethereal guitars and a dreamy vocal line, which fit perfectly with the outer-space-oriented lyrics. “Heaven Is A Ghost Town” follows suit with its slow, eerie tones, though it’s a bit more depressing than “Diamond Lightning.” The song’s chords echo while Snider painstakingly challenges the idea of heaven as a paradise, instead describing it as lonely and dark.
“Listing” steers away from the slow and heavy, using more upbeat and bouncy guitar patterns that mirror Planet Of Ice’s “Throwing Shapes.” It is easily one of the album’s most fun and unforgettable tracks. “Toska” is also a highlight with its soaring harmonies and a solo that reminds us all just how hard guitarist Dave Knudson can shred.
A song that could easily be featured in a hot and heavy movie moment, “Cold Company” brings Infinity Overhead to a close with serious force. Its guitars are huge, its drums are pounding, and it sums up the record perfectly: dark, sexy and gargantuan. — CMJ
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