Jethro Tull's 'RökFlöte' - Album Review

Whatever people think of Ian Anderson resurrecting the Jethro Tull name without the band's long-standing guitarist Martin Barre, I have to say that I am really glad that the legendary progressive rock/folk group are are going concern once again. Whilst Anderson has never really acknowledged why he brought Jethro Tull back despite saying for years that he would not, the band's recent return to studio action with The Zealot Gene (which I reviewed here) was a thoroughly pleasant surprise. It was the band's first album of original material since 1999's fairly odd J-Tull Dot Com, and it was a collection of songs which covered the breadth of Jethro Tull's sounds over the years - ranging from harder rock pieces to folky acoustic ditties. It is fair to say that Jethro Tull covered a lot of sonic ground over the years, and were often keen to make use of whatever the latest technology was at the time - which led to a strong use of synths throughout the 1980s, for better and for worse. In more recent years, though, Anderson has certainly moved back towards a more organic sound. Whilst I am unfamiliar with the 'mid period' of his solo work, which seems to consist of world music and albums which are largely instrumental, his more recent band-orientated solo albums, 2012's Thick as a Brick 2 and 2014's Homo Erraticus, certainly sounded more like Jethro Tull's 1970s output condensed. Thick as a Brick 2 more deliberately so, given it was a sequel to Jethro Tull's seminal 1972 release - but these albums seemed to find Anderson wanting to re-establish his core sound following Jethro Tull's original split and his more experimental solo work during the 1990s and 2000s. As such, then, The Zealot Gene continued on with the sounds re-explored on Thick as a Brick 2 and Homo Erraticus - the only difference being that it said 'Jethro Tull' on the cover and not 'Ian Anderson'. The musicians were the same and the sound was the same - but Anderson was Jethro Tull once again, likely for commercial reasons. The Zealot Gene certainly made more of a splash than either of his two previous solo albums, but it was also a very good album - and it almost made my Albums of the Year list last year. Given how long it had taken The Zealot Gene to come out, which was partly down to the pandemic, I was not expecting to hear more from Jethro Tull so soon - so I was shocked earlier this year when it was announced that the band would be releasing a new album in April 2023 - just over a year after The Zealot Gene. Apparently Anderson started work on this latest album, which was released with the absurd title RökFlöte, before The Zealot Gene had come out - and clearly it came together quickly. Unsurprisingly, RökFlöte is similar in style to Anderson's other recent albums - but it does feel a bit more hard rocking overall. There is still plenty of flute and acoustic guitar throughout, but it also feels as if more focus has been placed on hard rock riffs - with newish guitarist Joe Parrish-James really shining throughout. Parrish-James appeared on one track on The Zealot Gene, but much of that album was recorded before he came onboard. As such, RökFlöte feels like his true welcome - and he acts as the perfect foil to Anderson throughout.

RökFlöte is something of a loose concept album, with all of its 12 songs being based around Norse mythology (somehow via Vladimir Putin and Joe Exotic). The opening and closing tracks act as bookend pieces, with spoken word sections to introduce and round off the music here. Icelandic musician Unnur Birna recites from the Poetic Edda, from which Anderson drew a lot of inspiration for this album, during opening number Voluspo. Her voice is set against a backdrop of heavy, slow breathing and some droning synths - before a slow-burning flute melody kicks in. Acoustic guitars add a gentle backing, with John O'Hara's keyboards doubling the flute line, before the rest of the band join in - creating a folky soundscape not unlike the band's late 1970s output. Parrish-James soon switches over to his electric guitar, as he is credited with performing all of the album's guitar parts - laying down a subtle, muscular riff which Anderson starts to speak over. This opening track is very much a spoken word piece, then, with brief musical interludes - featuring both flute and guitar leads. It is great at setting up many of the album's key musical themes, and paves the way for the tougher Ginnungagap which takes over - opening with a breathy flute trill. This flute melody dominates the early portion of the song, as drummer Scott Hammond gradually builds up the intensity around it, but when Anderson starts to sing the band lock into a mid-paced groove led by Parrish-James' guitar riffing. Much has been said about Anderson's voice in recent years. He certainly struggles these days, but these new songs are written for his diminished range - so he sounds at home here. His delivery is still full of his classic quirks, though, which brings that classic Jethro Tull vibe - whilst occasional flute injections and guitar breaks provide the main melodic hooks. There is no big chorus here, but the song's relative heaviness helps to to establish itself - whilst the interplay between Anderson's flute and Parrish-James' guitar shows the relationship which has already blossomed between the two musicians. Allfather follows, and the folkier track feels more upbeat and jaunty. Some of the quirkier songs on the band's late 1970s albums are referenced here, and Anderson's vocal hooks are catchier - and he almost sounds like his old self at times, whilst his flute explosions set against a marching drum backing sound as timeless and joyous as ever. There is so much flute throughout this album, and the next melody is never too far away. There are a handful of extended flute passages throughout Allfather, and this is partly why the song is one of my favourites here. It feels like it could have come from my favourite era of the band - whilst Parrish-James' occasional lyrical guitar leads are perfectly placed. The Feathered Consort also opens with a flute melody, but the piece overall feels more majestic. O'Hara's keyboards are perhaps not as prevalent throughout the album as they could have been, but his playing adds some bombast to this track - particularly during the stabbing opening. His atmospheric playing also backs the verses, adding string-like qualities, whilst occasional organ growls elsewhere add weight - usually alongside some bigger guitar passages. Anderson's vocals throughout are suitably theatrical to fit in with the thespian drama of the song's more bombastic approach - adding another dimension to an already-diverse album.

Hammer on Hammer opens with a flute and piano combo, but this sound is short lived as Parrish-James soon takes over with some clean guitar melodies - and Anderson delivers his lyrics in a half-sung/half-spoken manner. This vibe continues on throughout, but the song feels tougher as it moves along. Parrish-James soon stamps on his overdrive pedal, and the song feels heavier as a result - whilst Anderson's vocal lines soon start to become punctuated by melodic guitar leads and the occasional flashy synth injection. This riffier nature, alongside some more harder-hitting drumming and some pounding basslines from David Goodier, give the song its heavier overall feel - and it also contains one of the album's flashiest instrumental breaks, which sees Anderson and Parrish-James trading flute and guitar melodies back and forth. Wolf Unchained continues in a similar manner, but the pace is upped - and the song has more of an urgency to it. Parrish-James' driving guitar rhythms are generally tough-sounding, but Goodier's bass also plays an important role here - especially during the simpler verses, which also include some occasional organ motifs. Anderson's vocals feel more assured and full-bodied here, sitting nicely alongside the driving rhythms, whilst a lengthy flute solo, split up by some guitar riffing, later shines the spotlight on Anderson instrumentally. In fact, this instrumental section is quite varied - and has a strong atmosphere thanks to O'Hara's keyboard additions, as the song builds back up towards another strutting verse. This mix of a hard rocking approach and the excellent instrumental breaks means that Wolf Unchained is another favourite of mine. The Perfect One opens in a calmer manner, with acoustic guitars and gentle flute melodies, but the song overall is another mid-paced rocker - although it feels a bit less tough than the previous couple of songs. Parrish-James' guitar playing is still strident, set against a punchy drum groove, but overall the song feels more laid back. The acoustic vibes of the song's intro resurface throughout, adding breaks from the heavier riffing, whilst the flute tends to be the main melodic force - although a lyrical guitar solo does change this up briefly. I really like the mix of acoustic and electric guitars here, with the contrast being very classic Jethro Tull in feel. I am not sure why Anderson did not contribute the acoustic guitars here as is custom, but Parrish-James does a great job at capturing his feel throughout. If any song here screams 'Jethro Tull' throughout this album, though, then it is the jaunty Trickster (and the Mistletoe). The song's explosive instrumental intro is busy and filled with many classic Jethro Tull-isms - including flute trills, plenty of Hammond organ from O'Hara, and jaunty keyboard leads. There is plenty of excitement caused by these musical motifs, and Parrish-James also includes plenty of leads throughout so as not to be left out. There is a lot of bombast here, particularly during the more upbeat instrumental sections - but Anderson's folk-inflected vocal delivery suits the song's overall vibe with everything coming together to create a short, but sweet, slab of prog/folk that could only come from his mind.

Cornucopia slows things down, and features O'Hara's piano playing quite prominently. The piano melodies form the backing of much of the song, which Anderson plays his flute over in a gentle manner. This vibe continues on throughout for the most part, with Anderson soon putting his down his flute and starting to sing. The gentle, folk-based song contains probably his best vocal performance on the album, too. The song is quite slow, but feels warm thanks to the organic instrumentation - and this more deliberate pace allows for a more full-bodied vocal performance. The song also stands out as it showcases O'Hara more prominently. This album generally is more guitar-based, and I would have actually liked the keyboards to be higher in the mix at times. This song showcases what O'Hara brings to the modern version of Jethro Tull - and even when the song speeds up towards the end his piano still drives everything. The pace of the end of Cornucopia is retained throughout The Navigators, but the toughness of much of the album returns - with the track being a relatively upbeat hard rocker. It also contains what is likely the hookiest flute melody on the album. This melody opens the song, and often resurfaces throughout - acting as a bit of a riff. The guitars add a toughness instead of providing hooks of their own - but Goodier's excellent bassline stands out a bit more, and provides a grounded counter to the jauntiness of the flute melodies. Flute-led instrumental sections sit nicely side-by-side with darker vocal-led sections - with the latter showcasing the guitars a bit more, and particularly as the song moves along some screaming leads are included. Guardian's Watch then strips away the meatiness for a brief period, to allow a flute melody to open things up, but the guitars soon take over again - and the song returns to the more majestic sound which was utilised earlier in the album. There is much more bombast here, largely thanks to Parrish-James' stabbing guitar playing - but there is also a stronger keyboard presence throughout, with O'Hara adding some excellent synth lines and string-like pomp. Guitar leads back Anderson's confident vocal display, whilst the rhythm section add weight and the occasional folky acoustic interlude recalls that classic Jethro Tull contrast. The album then comes to a close with the second bookend piece Ithavoll, which feels more song-like than Voluspo. There is more riffing going on here, although Birna still adds her spoken word to the piece - this time against a tougher and strutting backing. This feels quite dramatic, with flute and synth interludes adding colour, whilst a busy instrumental section then takes over featuring flashy guitar soloing and some excellent back and forth between the flute and the synths. The final section then sees Anderson singing the last lyrics against a pacy backdrop - before one last utterance from Birna as the album ends on a mournful flute motif and the heavy breathing with which it began. Given the overall quality of The Zealot Gene, it is a real treat to have another album of similar quality from Jethro Tull so soon. The albums are similar, but the harder rocking nature of this latest release does help it to stand out - and flute playing throughout is exemplary as always. It is a good time to be a Jethro Tull fan again, and with RökFlöte there is yet another slab of excellent music for those fans to enjoy.

The album was released on 21st April 2021 via InsideOut Music. Below is the band's promotional video for The Navigators.