Jethro Tull are set to release their 23rd studio album, ‘RökFlöte’, on April 21st 2023 via InsideOutMusic. Following 2022’s ‘The Zealot Gene’, the band’s first album in two decades, Ian Anderson and the band are returning with a 12-track record based on the characters and roles of some of the principle gods of the old Norse paganism, and at the same time exploring the ‘RökFlöte’ – rock flute – which Jethro Tull has made iconic.
With just over a week to go till release, today they are pleased to launch the third single taken from the album. Watch the video for ‘Hammer On Hammer’ (by Christian Rios) here:
The track takes inspiration from the god Thor, a loyal & honourable warrior who wears a powerful symbolic belt and wields a hammer. His mortal enemy & nemesis was Jormungand the sea-serpent.
Watch the previously released video for single ‘Ginnungagap’ below:
It was also recently announced that ‘RökFlöte’ would receive its premiere in Dolby Atmos immersive audio on April 17th at Dolby Studios in London. The special event will see Ian Anderson in attendance alongside Bruce Soord who undertook the mixing for this spatial audio version.
‘RökFlöte’ will be available on several different formats, including two limited deluxe formats that include bonus demo material, extensive liner notes & a blu-ray featuring Dolby Atmos, 5.1 surround sound, alternative stereo mixes by Bruce Soord (The Pineapple Thief), as well as a bonus track and in-depth interview with Ian Anderson. The album will also be available digitally in the spatial audio formats Dolby Atmos & Sony 360 RA. The full list of formats are below:
Ltd Deluxe Dark Red 2LP+2CD+Blu-ray Artbook incl. 2 x art-prints
Ltd Deluxe 2CD+Blu-ray Artbook
Special Edition CD Digipak
Gatefold 180g LP+LP-booklet
Digital Album
Tracklist:
Voluspo
Ginnungagap
Allfather
The Feathered Consort
Hammer On Hammer
Wolf Unchained
The Perfect One
Trickster (And The Mistletoe)
Cornucopia
The Navigators
Guardian’s Watch
Ithavoll
Ian explains the album’s title & theme in more detail: “The title of this offering went through a little change or two along the way. I started with the idea of a predominantly instrumental album for rock flute – as in rock music. When the subject material of the album presented itself, I was drawn to the term Ragnarök from Norse mythology – their version of apocalyptic end times or Biblical Armageddon. The “final showdown” scenario is ubiquitous and inherent in Hinduism, Christianity and Islam, for example. Ragnarök translates as “destiny of the Gods”, the rök part meaning destiny, course, direction. With umlaut firmly in place, courtesy of the Germanic origins of Old Norse, Flute became Flöte in keeping with the spelling. With me so far? I just can’t miss the glorious opportunity for a good and legitimate umlaut.”
Jethro Tull continue live dates this year, with shows in mainland Europe, as well as a newly announced headline date in London on May 23rd to celebrate the new album release. They will also return to North America later this year, with the first show in Wolf Trap confirmed and more to be announced in the coming weeks. Find the full list of shows here
‘The Zealot Gene’, released in January 2022, was Jethro Tull’s 22nd studio album and it garnered critical acclaim across the board. Reaching #9 in the UK album charts, a feat the band hadn’t reached since 1972, it also debuted at #4 in Germany, #3 in Switzerland, #5 in Austria, #8 in Finland, as well as top 10 in the US Album Charts, Current Album Charts and Rock Album Charts.
With more than 30 albums to their credit and sales totaling more than 60 million, Jethro Tull are one of the most successful rock bands of all-time with a catalog that contains classics that still resonate today. Led by Ian Anderson, Tull still continue to tour throughout the world, entertaining audiences of all ages.
The band consists of:
Ian Anderson – Concert and Alto flutes, Flute d’Amour,
Irish whistle and vocals
David Goodier – Bass guitar
John O’Hara – Piano, keyboards and Hammond Organ
Scott Hammond – Drums.
Joe Parrish-James – Electric and acoustic guitars, mandolin
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