Minus The Bear Announce 20th Anniversary Reissue Of 'Menos El Oso'
Minus The Bear has announced that they will be releasing a deluxe twentieth-anniversary reissue of their acclaimed album Menos El Oso, which is set to be released on August 22nd, 2025 via Suicide Squeeze Records. In a press release announcing the reissue, the band stated the following:
Speaking on the reissue announcement, vocalist Jake Snider says “...Oso is a band and fan favorite! We came into our sound on this record. Excited people get to hear these demos for the first time! Revisiting demos and hearing the evolution of some of these tracks puts me right back in our early 2000s practice space. And now we’re literally back in that same practice space for rehearsals. It’s wild!”
Guitarist David Knudson says “We toured so much for Menos el Oso — all these songs and riffs are stuck in my muscle memory like core childhood memories. The fingers and feet instinctively know where to tap and stomp at just the right time to make the notes and melodies leap out of my guitar. We were trying to push the envelope back in 2005 on this one — incorporating glitchy guitar samples, hip hop breakbeats and more electronic elements to the sound we had established on Highly Refined Pirates. Proud to say that 20 years later it still sounds fresh and I’m grateful people keep coming back to it as one of their favorites!”
While reflecting on the album, Knudson notes “Menos el Oso put us on a trajectory that none of us were expecting. There is a “before ‘Pachuca Sunrise’ video” moment in time, and then there is an “after ‘Pachuca Sunrise’ video” moment in time. It seemed like once people heard that song, and saw that video, everyone went straight to Limewire, Napster, Soulseek, BitTorrent, etc. and shared the album immediately. Celebrating the twentieth anniversary of something this monumental in our lives is a gift. Having the chance to appreciate it with our fans, families and fellow bandmates while we are all alive and kicking is an opportunity I can’t wait to embrace.”
The vinyl reissue of the album will be a double LP, with a remastered version of the original album on one 12”, and 5 unreleased original demos and an etching by bassist Cory Murchy on the B-side of the other. The reissue will also include a 24-page archive photo journal from the band’s personal collection.
The band has also released a demo version of the album’s track, “Hooray”, which you can check out below. You can click here to pre-order the album reissue.
Main Photo Credit: Ryan Russell
Menos el Oso 20th Anniversary Edition
1. The Game Needed Me
2. Memphis & 53rd
3. Drilling
4. The Fix
5. El Torrente
6. Pachuca Sunrise
7. Michio’s Death Drive
8. Hooray
9. Fulfill The Dream
10. The Pig War
11. This Ain’t A Surfin’ Movie
12. Hooray (Demo)
13. Drilling (Demo)
14. The Pig War (Demo)
15. Michio’s Death Drive (Demo)
16. I’m Totally Not Down With Rob’s Allen (Demo)
