{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2022}} {{Infobox album | name = The Zealot Gene | type = studio | artist = [[Jethro Tull (band)|Jethro Tull]] | cover = Jethro Tull - The Zealot Gene.png | alt = | released = 28 January 2022 | recorded = March 2017–July 2021 | studio = Modern World Studios, [[Tetbury]], Gloucestershire | genre = *[[Folk music|Folk]] *[[progressive rock]]<ref name="American Songwriter"/> | length = 46:45 | label = [[Inside Out Music|InsideOut]] | producer = [[Ian Anderson]] | prev_title = [[The Jethro Tull Christmas Album]] | prev_year = 2003 | next_title = [[RökFlöte]] | next_year = 2023 | misc = {{Singles | type =studio | single1 =Shoshana Sleeping | single1date =5 November 2021 | single2 =Sad City Sisters | single2date =8 December 2021 | single3 =The Zealot Gene | single3date =12 January 2022 }} }} '''''The Zealot Gene''''' is the twenty-second studio album by the British rock band [[Jethro Tull (band)|Jethro Tull]], released on 28 January 2022 by [[Inside Out Music]].<ref>{{cite press release|url=https://jethrotull.com/pre-order-jethro-tulls-new-album-the-zealot-gene/|title=Pre-order the New Jethro Tull album "The Zealot Gene"|publisher=[[Jethro Tull (band)|Jethro Tull]]|access-date=15 January 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |first=Jerry |last=Ewing |date=13 July 2021 |url=https://www.loudersound.com/news/jethro-tull-to-release-new-album-the-zealot-gene-in-early-2022 |title=Jethro Tull to Release New Album The Zealot Gene in Early 2022 |work=Louder |access-date=26 January 2022}}</ref> Nearly five years in production, it is their first studio album since ''[[The Jethro Tull Christmas Album]]'' (2003), and their first of all original material since ''[[J-Tull Dot Com]]'' (1999), marking the longest gap between the band's studio albums. It is also their first album since ''[[This Was]]'' (1968) to be made without guitarist [[Martin Barre]].
The album entered the [[UK Albums Chart]] at number 9, becoming Jethro Tull's first UK top ten album since 1972.
==Background== The album originated in January 2017, when composer, vocalist and flautist [[Ian Anderson]] started to write new songs and arrange the shape of the album. Early into the process, he decided that it was to be a Jethro Tull album because the line-up of the group at that time had become the longest lasting in its history, but had not been involved on a studio recording under its name.<ref name=CL22>{{cite web|url=https://www.cleveland.com/entertainment/2022/01/jethro-tull-celebrates-release-of-the-zealot-gene-first-new-release-in-almost-20-years.html|title=Jethro Tull celebrates release of 'The Zealot Gene,' first album of new material in more than 20 years|first=Gary|last=Graff|date=26 January 2022|publisher=Cleveland.com|access-date=28 January 2022}}</ref> It was a productive time, and seven tracks were recorded in March of that year. Further work on the album was put on hold in order for Anderson and the band to finish touring commitments in 2018 and 2019, and Anderson felt it would have been unfair to have the group back in the studio during the small amounts of down time.<ref name=CL22/> Following the outbreak of the [[COVID-19 pandemic]] and subsequent lockdowns, in early 2021 Anderson "gave up hope" and decided to put down his parts to the remaining five songs alone at his home studio.<ref name=CL22/> These last five songs are acoustic based and without drums, partly because drummer [[Scott Hammond (musician)|Scott Hammond]] was unable to record at home. The band recorded their individual parts in a similar manner, leaving Anderson to assemble the various tracks to form a complete song. By July 2021, the album was complete and delivered to Inside Out.<ref name=CL22/>
''The Zealot Gene'' is the first Jethro Tull studio album to feature an entirely new lineup (other than Anderson), with guitarist [[Florian Opahle]] (who left the band between its recording and release), bassist [[David Goodier]], keyboardist John O'Hara, and drummer Scott Hammond replacing four-fifths of ''The Jethro Tull Christmas Album'' lineup – [[Martin Barre]], [[Jonathan Noyce]], [[Andrew Giddings]] and [[Doane Perry]] respectively. The new lineup is the same that performed on Anderson's most recent solo album, ''[[Homo Erraticus]]'' (2014).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.sonicperspectives.com/album-reviews/jethro-tull-the-zealot-gene/|title=Jethro Tull – The Zealot Gene (Album Review)|first=Scott|last=Medina|date=11 January 2022|access-date=11 July 2022}}</ref> The album is the first since ''[[This Was]]'' (1968) not to involve Barre in any capacity, as he was not asked to return when Anderson reformed Jethro Tull.
==Songs== ''The Zealot Gene'' is not a [[concept album]], but biblical references are made throughout and Anderson began writing each song with a passage from the Bible.<ref name=LS220130>{{cite web|url=https://www.loudersound.com/features/the-making-of-jethro-tulls-the-zealot-gene|title=The making of Jethro Tull's The Zealot Gene|first=Johnny|last=Sharp|date=30 January 2022|publisher=Loudersound|access-date=31 January 2022}}</ref> "Mrs. Tibbets" references the mother of [[Paul Tibbets]], the pilot of the ''[[Enola Gay]]'' who dropped the atomic bomb [[Little Boy]] on [[Hiroshima]] in 1945; the song's repeated reference to "Mrs. Tibbets's little boy" therefore has a dual meaning. The title track was inspired partly by the rise in right-wing populism "and how extremist views seem to spread more freely and everything gets more exaggerated – sometimes through news stories, and some from ferocious [[Twitter|tweets]]."<ref name=LS220130/> Anderson said that "Mine Is the Mountain" is not a reflection of his own view, but rather about seeing God as a victim and the "desperation of man to create this figurehead, and in human form, because that’s the only way we can understand it."<ref name=LS220130/>
==Release== The album entered the [[UK Albums Chart]] at number 9, becoming Jethro Tull's first UK top ten album since ''[[Thick as a Brick]]'' and the compilation ''[[Living in the Past (album)|Living in the Past]]'', both from 1972.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.loudersound.com/news/jethro-tull-land-first-top-ten-album-in-50-years-with-the-zealot-gene|title=Jethro Tull land first Top Ten album in 50 years with The Zealot Gene|first=Jerry|last=Ewing|date=4 February 2022|publisher=Loudersound|access-date=7 February 2022}}</ref>
==Critical reception== {{Music ratings | MC = 67/100<ref name="Metacritic">{{cite web|url=https://www.metacritic.com/music/the-zealot-gene/jethro-tull|title=The Zealot Gene by Jethro Tull Reviews and Tracks |website=[[Metacritic]]|access-date=3 February 2022}}</ref> | rev1 = ''[[American Songwriter]]'' | rev1score = {{rating|3.5|5}}<ref name="American Songwriter">{{cite web|last=Zimmerman|first=Lee|title=Review: A Zealot Through and Through|url=https://americansongwriter.com/a-zealot-through-and-through/|website=[[American Songwriter]]|date=28 January 2022|access-date=3 February 2022}}</ref> | rev2 = ''[[Classic Rock (magazine)|Classic Rock]]'' | rev2score = {{rating|3|5}}<ref name="Classic Rock">{{cite web|last=Fielder|first=Hugh|title=Jethro Tull: The Zealot Gene album review|url=https://www.loudersound.com/reviews/the-zealot-gene-is-light-bright-tight-and-recognisably-jethro-tull|website=[[Classic Rock (magazine)|Classic Rock]]|date=28 January 2022|access-date=3 February 2022}}</ref> | rev3 = ''[[Mojo (magazine)|Mojo]]'' | rev3score = {{Rating|3|5}}<ref name="Mojo">{{Cite magazine|last=Bungey|first=John|title=Ian Anderson's first record since his solo ''Homo Erraticus'' in 2014|magazine=[[Mojo (magazine)|Mojo]]|date=March 2022|issue=340|page=83}}</ref> | rev4 = ''The Spill Magazine'' | rev4score = {{rating|4.5|5}}<ref name="Spill">{{cite web|last=Badgley|first=Aaron|author-link=Aaron Badgley |title=SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: JETHRO TULL – THE ZEALOT GENE|url=https://spillmagazine.com/spill-album-review-jethro-tull-the-zealot-gene/|website=The Spill Magazine|date=2 February 2022|access-date=5 March 2022}}</ref> | rev5 = ''[[Uncut (magazine)|Uncut]]'' | rev5score = 7/10<ref name="Uncut">{{Cite magazine|last=Staunton|first=Terry|title=Familiar folk prog but with a biblical tent|magazine=[[Uncut (magazine)|Uncut]]|date=February 2022|issue=297|page=31}}</ref> }} At [[Metacritic]], which assigns a [[Standard score|normalised]] rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, ''The Zealot Gene'' received a [[Weighted arithmetic mean|mean]] score of 67 based on 4 reviews, indicating "generally favourable reviews".<ref name="Metacritic"/>
Lee Zimmerman of ''[[American Songwriter]]'' described ''The Zealot Gene'' as a "concept album in the vintage manner of ''[[Thick as a Brick]]''" with the "idyllic imagery of ''[[Songs From the Wood]]'' and ''[[Heavy Horses]]''". Zimmerman opined that the album is a "noteworthy effort and a well-executed return" for the band.<ref name="American Songwriter"/> ''[[Mojo (magazine)|Mojo]]'' writer John Bungey compared the album with Ian Anderson's 2014 solo album ''[[Homo Erraticus]]'', and praised that "here are 12 less erratic songs on diverse subjects". However, Bungey also pointed out that "the rockier tunes need louder guitars and it's the folkier moments with [[mandolin]], [[Tin whistle|Irish whistle]] and [[accordion]] that shine brightest".<ref name="Mojo"/> Hugh Fielder of ''[[Classic Rock (magazine)|Classic Rock]]'' described the album as "light, bright, tight and recognisably Tull, with plenty of room for [Anderson's] flute to fly". However, Fielder also stated that he missed [[Martin Barre]]'s "heavy rock dynamics" and mentioned "Anderson's increasingly frail voice".<ref name="Classic Rock"/>
==Track listing== All music and lyrics by [[Ian Anderson]].
{{Track listing | title1 = Mrs. Tibbets | length1 = 5:53 | title2 = Jacob's Tales | length2 = 2:12 | title3 = Mine Is the Mountain | length3 = 5:40 | title4 = The Zealot Gene | length4 = 3:54 | title5 = Shoshana Sleeping | length5 = 3:40 | title6 = Sad City Sisters | length6 = 3:41 | title7 = Barren Beth, Wild Desert John | length7 = 3:38 | title8 = The Betrayal of Joshua Kynde | length8 = 4:05 | title9 = Where Did Saturday Go? | length9 = 3:52 | title10 = Three Loves, Three | length10 = 3:29 | title11 = In Brief Visitation | length11 = 3:01 | title12 = The Fisherman of Ephesus | length12 = 3:40 | total_length = 46:45 }}
==Personnel== '''Jethro Tull'''
* [[Ian Anderson]] – vocals, flute, acoustic guitar, mandolin, whistle, harmonica * [[Florian Opahle]] – electric guitar * [[David Goodier]] – bass guitar * John O'Hara – piano, keyboards, accordion, organ * [[Scott Hammond (musician)|Scott Hammond]] – drums * [[Joe Parrish]] – guitar (track 11) {{citation needed|reason=i suspect he played on all five drumless tracks|date=July 2024}}
;Production * Ian Anderson – producer, stereo mixing, photography, artwork concept * Michael Nyandoro – engineer * Nick Watson – mastering * [[Jakko Jakszyk]] – 5.1 surround sound mixing * James Anderson – photography * Thomas Ewerhard – artwork design * [[Tim Bowness]] – liner notes * Mastering at Fluid Mastering
==Charts== {| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center" |+ Chart performance for ''The Zealot Gene'' ! scope="col"| Chart (2022) ! scope="col"| Peak<br/>position |- {{album chart|Austria|5|artist=Jethro Tull|album=The Zealot Gene|rowheader=true|access-date=June 20, 2024}} |- {{album chart|Flanders|26|artist=Jethro Tull|album=The Zealot Gene|rowheader=true|access-date=June 20, 2024}} |- {{album chart|Wallonia|34|artist=Jethro Tull|album=The Zealot Gene|rowheader=true|access-date=June 20, 2024}} |- {{album chart|Czech|56|year=2022|week=5|rowheader=true|access-date=June 20, 2024}} |- {{album chart|Netherlands|37|artist=Jethro Tull|album=The Zealot Gene|rowheader=true|access-date=June 20, 2024}} |- {{album chart|Finland|6|artist=Jethro Tull|album=The Zealot Gene|rowheader=true|access-date=June 20, 2024}} |- {{album chart|France|124|artist=Jethro Tull|album=The Zealot Gene|rowheader=true|access-date=June 20, 2024}} |- {{album chart|Germany|4|id=488660|artist=Jethro Tull|album=The Zealot Gene|rowheader=true|access-date=June 20, 2024}} |- {{album chart|Hungary|18|year=2022|week=5|rowheader=true|access-date=June 20, 2024}} |- {{album chart|Italy|61|artist=Jethro Tull|album=The Zealot Gene|rowheader=true|access-date=June 20, 2024}} |- {{album chart|Poland|34|id=1417|rowheader=true|accessdate=June 20, 2024}} |- {{album chart|Portugal|8|artist=Jethro Tull|album=The Zealot Gene|rowheader=true|access-date=June 20, 2024}} |- {{album chart|Scotland|5|date=20220204|rowheader=true|access-date=June 20, 2024}} |- {{album chart|Spain|20|artist=Jethro Tull|album=The Zealot Gene|rowheader=true|access-date=June 20, 2024}} |- {{album chart|Sweden|22|artist=Jethro Tull|album=The Zealot Gene|rowheader=true|access-date=June 20, 2024}} |- {{album chart|Switzerland|3|artist=Jethro Tull|album=The Zealot Gene|rowheader=true|access-date=June 20, 2024}} |- {{album chart|UK2|9|date=20220204|rowheader=true|access-date=June 20, 2024}} |- {{album chart|UKRock|3|date=20220204|rowheader=true|access-date=June 20, 2024}} |- {{album chart|BillboardIndependent|37|artist=Jethro Tull|rowheader=true|access-date=June 20, 2024}} |- {{album chart|BillboardAlbumSales|10|artist=Jethro Tull|rowheader=true|access-date=June 20, 2024}} |- {{album chart|BillboardRock|37|artist=Jethro Tull|rowheader=true|access-date=June 20, 2024}} |}
==References== {{Reflist}}
{{Jethro Tull}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Zealot Gene, The}} [[Category:2022 albums]] [[Category:Inside Out Music albums]] [[Category:Jethro Tull (band) albums]]