Planet of Ice - Minus The Bear
Metascore
74 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 16 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 12 out of 16
  2. Negative: 1 out of 16
  1. While not a huge sonic leap forward for Minus The Bear, Planet shows the band eager--and more than able--to take a deep breath and explore its emerging maturity and depth.
  2. The tightly wound dance numbers are dancier ("Knights"); the slow sex jams are sexier ("White Mystery"); and new keyboardist Alex Rose gives the synths a much stronger role than ever before, both with brilliant countermelodies and sublime textures. [Sept 2007]
  3. It is easily one the band's best album and possibly the best album of the year.
  4. Planet Of Ice marks Minus The Bear at the top of their game.
  5. Most songs keep well away from a standard verse-chorus structure, with lyric and instrumental passages stitched together like some indie rock Frankenstein, but Minus the Bear keeps the melodies potent and the emotion high enough to prevent Planet of Ice from drifting into impenetrable shoe-gazer territory.
  6. Planet of Ice is better than its predecessor, "Menos el Oso," but only slightly so.
  7. 72
    Ultimately, the only thing stopping Planet of Ice from being the band's best work is that they seem to so desperately want it to be, lending a strange (and too serious) heavy-handedness that nearly buries these slow-to-mid-tempo burners.
  8. Planet Of Ice is an oddly sour letdown, a high-quality album that suffers only from the reception and perception of its forefathers.
  9. 70
    The band's latest is sublimely elegant and more maturely conceived.
  10. This album is both immediately gratifying and deceptively interesting.
  11. This is headphone indie rock, but with plenty of wondrous aural attractions to keep your wandering mind from straying too far.
  12. Minus the Bear seemed more serious about their music than about its presentation.
  13. Some songs lack raw emotion but have sombre vocal melodies and engaging lyrics.
  14. Planet of Ice's cerebrally structured songs pull in too many directions to pack a proper punch.
  15. The album flows seamlessly from song to song, but the overall feel is sedated.
  16. The most egregious offender is Planet of Ice's last song, 'Lotus,' which clocks in at close to nine minutes, thanks to clumsy feedback inserted somewhat inappropriately between the beginning and end of what must have started out as a fairly straightforward rock song.
User Score

Universal acclaim- based on 11 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 6 out of 6
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 6
  3. Negative: 0 out of 6
  1. ER.
    8
    Very good actually, flaw is the songs aren't arranged in proper order.
  2. Tony
    6
    I've been a bear fan for a while but really didn't care too much for this one. I feel like there are fewer WOW moments than before. The lyrics are kinda bland too. Full Review »
  3. JackN.
    9
    Planet of Ice is amazing. Really catchy hooks, amazing guitar solos, interesting sonic textures. The band kind of lost me with Menos El Oso, which seemed to be catering to MTV emo kids with short attention spans. But Planet of Ice stands up nicely against Highly Refined Pirates, and shows that a band can evolve and grow up without becoming a cliche. Full Review »