Jethro Tull/ RökFlöte

BY NARENDRA KUSNUR

Jethro Tull/ RökFlöte

Genre: Rock

Label: InsideOut Music

Rating: *** 1/2

In the second Jethro Tull album released within a 15-month span, frontman Ian Anderson traverses a completely different thematic trajectory. If last year's The Zealot Gene made references to Biblical verses and contexts, the new record RökFlöte has been inspired by Norse Paganism.

At the outset, Norse folklore is a subject this writer is unfamiliar with, with the probable exception of names like Odin, Freyja and Thor, and the fact that it's a recurrent subject among the Viking metal bands of North Europe, besides being used by Anderson himself in the 1975 song 'Cold Wind To Valhalla'. As such, this review will overlook that aspect of the new music. Nor will it seek to explain some of the obscure song titles like 'Ginnungagap', 'Voluspo' and 'Ithavoll', much as one would be tempted to use Google and feign instant expertise.

What's interesting, however, is that Anderson has followed a different style of lyricism, using four-line verses set in poetic rhyme, yet bearing the Tull stamp in its vocabulary. This will be self-explanatory in some of the songs below.

Before that, let's answer the main question.- what does Tull's 23rd studio album sound like? The first reaction is that it's heavier than a lot of Tull, somewhat reminiscent of the 1979 release Stormwatch, with some hangover of The Broadsword And The Beast, Crest Of A Knave and Rock Island. Anderson's voice has changed, but despite limitations of range, he does well within the comfort territory. It's his compositions and flute-playing that stand out, giving many glimpses of the vintage sound. Interestingly, he doesn't play the acoustic guitar here - whatever little bit is there is handled by the main guitarist Joe Parrish-James, who shines on the electric guitar. Though the 'Rök' in the title symbolises 'destiny' in Icelandic, it goes well with the rocking flute passages prevalent through the record.

Also worth noting is the fact that RökFlöte doesn't start with Anderson's voice. On 'Voluspo', Icelandic singer Unnur Birna begins with a poetic chant, after which Anderson's flute and voice takes over, producing a jazz-inflected opener. 'Ginnungagap', released as the first single, has some heavenly coordination between flute, guitar and drums in the intro, before the lines, "This first and elemental flesh, both man and woman fall awake; From void and darkness, from sleeping Ymir, a world to make". Notice the rhyming style? It's consistent throughout the album.

Brilliant flute also adorn 'Allfather' and 'The Feathered Consort', which has a Medieval feel and the lines, "Like distant Venus, so seductive, smoothing her scent on boys and men; To make them whole and leave them smiling, thinking of her now and then".

'Hammer On Hammer' is a brilliantly-arranged number with Norse references through words like, "Stage must be set for mortal battle, Volva prophesy fulfilled; At Ragnarök, gory conclusion, drowning world to raise, rebuild".

The tracks 'Wolf Unchained', which begins and ends with a howl sound, and the concert-friendly 'The Navigators', most reminiscent of the Stormwatch phase, would please the prog-rock fans. But Anderson doesn't keep the style uniform, as he uses Celtic influences on the uptempo 'Trickster (And The Mistletoe)' and a classically-inspired melodic intro on 'Guardian's Watch', which suddenly picks up in tempo. 'The Perfect One' is an attempt to go back to the late 1970s folk-rock style, but offers nothing new despite some polished playing.

Birna returns with her Icelandic chant on the album-closer 'Ithavoll', whose regular theme changes make it a bit confusing. One must specially mention 'Cornucopia', a mellow departure in style, beginning with a haunting and pastoral flute-guitar-piano intro, followed by the lines, "The barley grows and ripened, feeds, the hungry souls who toil and sweat; They gather to give thanks and praise; for wealth and peace, repay the debt".

Overall, RökFlöte revolves around Anderson's instrumental mastery, as he plays concert flutes, alto flutes, tenor flute and Irish whistle. But there's a huge contribution by Joe Parrish-James on electric guitar. Many Tull fans may try and compare him with the legendary Martin Barre, or perhaps his successor Florian Opahle. The truth is that he has his own style, with a probable influence of John Petrucci of Dream Theater. On a less prominent note, John O'Hara chips in with piano, keyboard and Hammond organ, and David Goodier is tight on bass. The underrated star is drummer Scott Hammond, who changes style as per the song. Tull has made very unique use of drumming patterns over the years, and this album is no exception.

At 75, Anderson never ceases to surprise with the way he churns out such marvellous material, aided by lyrics that have the signature style, irrespective of the broader theme. Like many Tull albums, RökFlöte may take a few listens to sink in, but once it does, it's loop-worthy. And somewhere, in the shuffling rock madness, the mellower tunes like 'Cornucopia' and 'Guardian's Watch' linger on in one's mind.

PS: This review reflects how I react to the album at this point. The content may change once I complete my PhD in Norse mythology.