Jethro Tull has premiered a music video for a third advance track from its forthcoming studio album, The Zealot Gene, the record’s ominous title track.
The animated clip, which was directed by Iranian filmmaker Sam Chegini, can be viewed at the band’s official YouTube channel. The video features a variety of enigmatic scenes and images that help depict the flute-driven song’s theme of the potential danger of fanatically following polarizing leaders and philosophies.
The clip includes scenes depicting a swimming sperm whose tail becomes the fuse of a bomb, falling eggs that crack open to reveal curled-up people, a human figure with a television instead of a head, and a cartoon version of frontman Ian Anderson.
Anderson explains of “The Zealot Gene,” “The title track offers many allusions to the radical, politically-charged world of populism in leadership. As a song lyric, it sums up, for me, the divisive nature of societal relationships and the extreme views which fuel the fires of hate and prejudice, more so today perhaps, than at any time in history. Perhaps you think you know who I might have been thinking about here but, in reality, there are probably right now at least five prominent, dictatorial national figures who could fit the bill.”
“The Zealot Gene” is available now as a digital download and via steaming services. Its release was preceded by “Sad City Sisters” and “Shoshana Sleeping,” which also were accompanied by music videos.
Anderson also has been posting a series of videos featuring him discussing the album on the band’s YouTube channel.
As previously reported, The Zealot Gene will be released on January 28. The 12-track collection, which can be pre-ordered now, is Jethro Tull’s first new studio album in more than 18 years.
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