Classic Rock Band Returns, Drops First Album in 19 Years

By Stephen Andrew

Classic rock band Jethro Tull has made a triumphant return, and last week they dropped their first album in 19 years. On Friday, Jethro Tull released The Zealot Gene, a full-length studio album featuring 12 brand new songs. This marks the band's first release since 2003's The Jethro Tull Christmas Album, and their first album of original material since 1999's J-Tull Dot Com.

In a statement on the new record, Jethro Tull bandleader Ian Anderson (vocals, flute) offered some insight into the biblical mythology that The Zealot Gene is based around. "While I have a spot of genuine fondness for the pomp and fairytale story-telling of the Holy Book, I still feel the need to question and draw sometimes unholy parallels from the text," he said. "The good, the bad, and the downright ugly rear their heads throughout, but are punctuated with elements of love, respect, and tenderness." Anderson also addressed the band's previous touring plans being dashed due to the Covid-19 pandemic, "It was so sudden. Amidst the concerns and warnings of the scientific community and a few more enlightened politicians, we all retreated in disbelief to our homes to wait out the storm."

Elaborating on his feelings regarding The Zealot Gene's biblical concept, Anderson made it clear to The Guardian that he does not necessarily want the album to be labeled as such. "The interest I have in a whole variety of subjects, from hard science to the cruel world of politics, is part of who I am," he told the outlet. "I'm an observer, which comes from my brief art history education – I see a picture in my head and I want to illustrate it musically." Anderson continued, "I fully understand if people look at my meanderings over many years and think: 'Oh, if you're making lists of words, the ones that come to mind about Ian Anderson would be pompous, vain, arrogant and self-indulgent.' But, hopefully, you might also think serious, studious, passionate and, above all, engaged."

The Zealot Gene has been receiving quite a lot of praise from fans, with one tweeting to the band that it "develops in ears so instantly that one doesn't need to skip a track, the whole album ends, starts over again and you get amazed about how easily it flows in your ears." The fan added, "I can recommend this album to a new JT fan by skipping any old albums. Very well done Sirs!"

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