Pitchfork

Sounds as if drone-metal pioneers Earth will take "a harder, more rock and American Gospel-oriented, and improvisational direction" on The Bee Made Honey in the Lion's Skull, their forthcoming LP, due February 26 from Southern Lord.

Joined by guitarist Bill Frisell on three tracks and new bassist Don McGreevy throughout, the band follows up this year's Hibernaculum with a disc that reportedly sports "truly psychedelic production and blazing guitar sounds."

Earth have a smattering of shows through the month of December, highlighted by a stop at Portishead's forthcoming ATP-sponsored Nightmare Before Christmas and a punishing New Year's Eve with Neurosis.

The Bees Made Honey in the Lion's Skull:

01 Omens and Portents I: The Driver
02 Rise to Glory
03 Miami Morning Coming Down II (Shine)
04 Engine of Ruin
05 Omens and Portents II: Carrion Crow
06 Hung From the Moon
07 The Bees Made Honey in the Lion's Skull

Earth:

12-07 Barcelona, Spain - TBA
12-09 Minehead, England - Butlins Holiday Centre (ATP's Nightmare Before Christmas)
12-10 London, England - The Forum
12-27 Portland, OR - Dante's
12-29 Sacramento, CA - The Blue Lamp *
12-30 Santa Cruz, CA - Brookdale Lodge
12-31 San Francisco, CA - Great American Music Hall ^

* with Giant Squid
^ with Neurosis