Earth - The Bees Made Honey In The Lion's Skull

There's really no clever way to start this review. Fuck, I'd actually settle for a halfway decent way to start it at this point. A lot can be said about the incredibly unlikely comeback (and complete musical transformation) of Dylan Carlson, but you've probably read that in every other Earth review in the last few years. So I guess let's just move on to the topic at hand: Earth's newest record, The Bees Made Honey In The Lion's Skull.

The obvious point to start would be to compare it to their last couple of records, to which I'll say this: If you like 2005's Hex; Or Printing In The Infernal Method or last year's Hibernaculum, but you haven't heard the new one yet, don't even bother reading the rest of this. If you liked either or both of those, you'll like this one, too.

For people who haven't heard Earth, or haven't heard them since they started putting out new material a few years back, the best way I can describe them is to say that it sounds like they write scores for spaghetti westerns that don't exist. That statement doesn't hold quite as true on The Bees Made Honey In The Lion's Skull, but you hopefully get the general idea. Minimal distortion, sparse drums, lots of reverb on the guitars, and a decided western twang. So if you wish that Ennio Morricone was still scoring Leone movies, you'll probably dig on this stuff a lot. That being said, active listening requires a commitment on listener's part; the one thing that held over between old Earth and new is repetition, and lots of it. This might turn off some people, but those who can get into it will be rewarded by gorgeous (though simple) melodies and an almost hypnotic experience.

At first glance (at least for me), The Bees Made Honey In The Lion's Skull offers more of the same as Earth's previous two records. Subsequent listens, however, have revealed a subtle but substantial evolution in Earth's sound. For starters, the addition of an organ really helps round out the sound. Where Hex sounded extremely stark, The Bees... has a much warmer (for lack of a better word) sound that at times almost envelopes the listener. In addition to the Spaghetti twang, Earth has incorporated elements of Southern Americana to the mix. It can be subtle, but where Hex is extremely fucking bleak, conjuring images of wind-blasted plains, The Bees Made Honey In The Lion's Skull sounds almost pastoral at times, and maybe a little wistful as well. It's a definite step forward for the band (though admittedly not a huge one), and I think it really helps them own their sound even more than they did previously.

To be honest, I actually can't think of anything bad to say about this record. Earth has grown into one of those rare bands who knows their strength and plays to it. Three records in to their "new" style, not only have they not faltered once, they've actually gotten better with each release. The Bees Made Honey In The Lion's Skull is fucking great from beginning to end and it sounds awesome (that kick drum is HUGE) to boot. If you're looking for something that doesn't sound like anything anyone else is doing these days, check it out. Highly recommended.