The Broadsword and the Beast

The Broadsword and The Beast is the 14th studio album by Jethro Tull, released on April 10, 1982 and according to Ian Anderson in the liner notes of the remastered CD, contains some of Jethro Tull's best music. It mixes electronic sound with acoustic instruments and is a cross between the synthesizer sound of the 1980s and the folk-influenced style that Tull had in the previous decade.
The tour for Broadsword was the last one for Tull to be exceedingly theatrical. It included the entire stage being decorated to look like a pirate ship, which Ian Anderson, as he said in the liner notes for the remastered CD, thought was very silly. Extensive notes on the production of the album and subsequent tour can be found at the official Jethro Tull website.
The cover art is by renowned artist Iain McCaig.
The runic symbols around the edge of the cover are from the Anglo Saxon rune system. The words are, however, English: the opening lyrics to Broadsword:
I see a dark sail on the horizon, set under a black cloud that hides the sun. Bring me my broadsword and clear understanding. Bring me my cross of gold as a talisman.
Cheerio, the final track of the original release, was for some years played as the final encore at Jethro Tull concerts.
The 2005 CD reissue of the album was heavily expanded to include eight bonus tracks recorded during the Broadsword sessions, but not included in the original 1982 album.