minus the bear Infinity Overhead (CD, £10.95)

Bristling with guitar acrobatics and infectious melodies, Minus The Bear's fifth studio full-length album is not only a return to form in direction, instrumentation and creation but also the band's most aggressive and confident. The veteran Seattle-based fivesome reunited with former member and longtime producer Matt Bayles (Mastodon, Isis, Cursive) to create a guitar-laden 10-track record that is heavy both on technicality and pop songcraft and showcases the band doing what they do best - interesting, guitar-based big sounding rock. "We wanted to branch out on the last record and explore some more musical directions and work with someone we didn't know," says guitarist Dave Knudson about the band's 2010 LP, Omni, produced by Joe Chiccarelli. "That was very educational and eye opening but at the same time we weren't in our wheel house." Drummer Erin Tate adds: "I look at it like when we started this band we were building a house with the first three records, then with Omni we decided to go to a beach house. Now, with Infinity Overhead, we are back working on our house." Bassist Cory Murchy succinctly exclaims: "We didn't go anywhere, but we're back."