This album is extraordinary and its timing uncanny. It grabs you instantly and demands you pay attention to it. It is a siren, an alarm in the night, a clarion call, and like the Orwellian novel, a harbinger of what can actually happen to all of us in the-not-too-distant future. 2084 Empire is a literal roadmap to some of humanity’s worst impulses and it serves as a reminder that things can get worse and that we better change, collectively as a species NOW. 2084 Empire is a masterclass in progressive music.
It is also the the final instalment of the band’s terrific trilogy, a nod to George Orwell’s ubiquitous volume 1984. It compliments the 2023 release, 2084 Heretic. Not only is this and (its sister album) cogent and relevant, the concept, lyrics, arrangement, and overall musicality is entrancing. The songs are arranged almost like chapters in a book about to be read, and its a rocker to boot! Listening to this album was such a unique experience for me. The lyricism is so vivid and so crystal clear, I can almost see the images, a barren war torn colourless landscape, fires and destruction, drones, people running or hiding in terror for their lives. It was like I was a a movie theatre watching it unfold track by track. All I needed was the popcorn!
Built For The Future (B4tF) is a crossover prog group from San Antonio, Texas, and is comprised of two extremely talented multi-instrumentalists Kenny Bissett (lead vocals/guitars/keyboards) and Patric Farrell (bass/guitars/keyboards/backing vocals), with additional support from Pete Fithian (keyboards), and Lalo (drums). I had the pleasure of reviewing Bissett’s solo release, Balancing Act in March 2022.
2084 Empire is a double-disc (89 minutes) album chock full of ambitious, muscular work of musical sagacity and wisdom that flows brilliantly and engagingly. It contains a mini-suite, the 26 minute Oceania that could easily be developed as concept album in its own right, whereas the shortest track, The Empire State, clocks in at just under 5 minutes. Both Bissell and Farrell have a lot to say on this record. The album opens with 2084, a no-holds-barred rocker that sets the mood and feel for what is to come. Bissell comes out swinging with vocals fresh and with attitude and a piercing guitar riff that sets up a landscape that is cold and brutal;
We lose our freedom and our love
And one by one by one by one by one
We fail to see the signs above
We have to make a sound
[2084 What if we ignore, Can we anymore]
We have to make a sound
[2084 Where were we before, Can we be restored]
We know we will be found
[2084]
Our freedom is our light
[2084]
We’ll make it out alive
[2084]
Propaganda signals its arrival with intense rhythmic pulsating drumming and Bissell’s unique vocal delivery hitting just the right pitch and sound, creating this desolate monotone feel, which he uses perfectly on this release. Angular and gripping, the track drives along with subtle keyboards and Bissell’s signature Rickenbacker electric guitar sound. Glorious. With lyrics like, “Truth and Fiction become the only need”, and Can we question the stories we are told? To see the light of truth unfold, to see the light of truth”, the listener is transported to this post-apocalyptic world. This is very heady stuff and you feel the tension with the track. I kept returning to this song on my many plays of it during my long walks. It captivated me and pulled me into this world of unknown origin. That’s the genius of the music of B4tF; music that not only entertains you, but also informs you, moves and shakes your foundation of reality. Existential questioning and wondering if this is all real (or not).
The innate ability of the music and lyrics to take the listener on this stark, sombre voyage, to see what the future possibly holds, is truly a gift. Farrell’s stunning keyboard playing paired with Bissell’s guitar work makes for a dream match! No where is this more evident than the next track, Empire State, with its Radiohead-like 90’s groove, and anthemic feel. Subterranean flows along the same lines, but here, its the lyrics that call your attention. You actually feel the darkness, the cold wet, rock walls and of course, the terror. Powerful forces at work but musically and lyrically, and the subtle overcast of Bissell’s fading fuzzy guitar sound giving way to bells tolling, cars beeping and sirens blaring, keeping the listener on their toes. This is the stuff of George Orwell, himself, put to music and its undeniably engrossing and captivating. The track is moved along steadily by Lalo’s brilliant rhythmic monotonic beat which sends shivers up my spine. Like I said, all you need is the popcorn. The second longest song, Airship One(Orwell’s fictitious name for what became of the UK) begins where Subterranean ends with the fuzziness of Bissell’s guitar and an anguished, beaten, almost defeated-sounding vocal to represent the loss of freedom and individuality, to perfect effect with lyrics that will drive home that sense of loss, agony, numbness, never to recover;
The sound of sirens in our cells
We see the fear and the hysteria
We give our hearts to Oceania
Believe in everything they tell us to believe
Deceived in all the things we see
We feel the hate and the anathema
We give our lives for Oceania
Zealot screams out of the gate with Bissell’s high octane guitar and Farrell’s utterly sublime bass playing through this dark, infectious beat-driven track. The singing in the “round” with it repetitiveness and singularity makes this track hum and buzz, with the lyrics rousing and angry, overcome by more powerful forces, as if to say all hope is all lost. You could actually feel the depth of deep loss and utter anguish in Bissell’s fragile, imploring vocals towards the end of this track. I found myself moved emotionally, wrenched and drained, it was so real and convincing. What an incredibly poignant piece of music. Turning the page, The Brotherhood has a jazzy Toto-like groove and wicked bassline that just syncs perfectly. One of the powerful mechanisms that B4tF employ is the judicious use of echoing reverb and other elemental sounds that enhance the overall effect of the music.
Majestic, melodic and literary, Oceania, the centrepiece of there album, is an almost 26 minute full on progressive epic wonder. A grand prog suite in six mini sections, it is the heart and soul of this album, neatly packaging all of what came before into a musical feast of heroic proportions. Textured and purposeful, this song allows the listener to keep pace with and understand what is going on within the music. Oceania is the state of the world in 2084 living under “Big Brother” or better yet, surviving within the surveillance state. There are glimpses of hope emanating within this track, but they are fleeting at best. Here the lyrics gently bow down and let the music cascade and take hold:
B4tF recently released this as an EP, and rightly so. It’s exceptional.
With its Rush like force, Permanent War smashes the tranquillity, the false sense of peace that was fleetingly apparent with the gentle ending of the previous track, Oceania. The anxious drumming and build-up is so palpable. You hear the angst and passion in Bissell’s vocal as he traces never ending war in this new austere landscape. It has almost a punk-like “in your face” intensity, with lyrics such as:
We follow the path of the powers that be
We’re uniting the blind to the signals we can’t see
And we’re fighting to make all our enemies bleed
Civil right, Arms controlled
Permanent war
Blinding light, Falling souls
Permanent war
why can’t we just be ourselves
why can’t we live our intent
standing in this broken hell
now this war is permanent
2:35 minutes into the track, an abrupt chord and rhythm change occurs. Things slow down and Kenny’s undulating vocal perfectly match this sensational chorus. The trifecta of the vocals, guitar and now synthesizer, just work magnificently here. The music is agitated and fluctuates to give this impression of uneasiness and danger and the you hear a descant of the sound of soldiers in the background. Just sublime. The album finishes with The National Anthem, a reprise of what has been said, and an emotional gut wrenching farewell as things will not get better. The steady monotone Neil Young-ish sounding vibrato, forges ahead slowly and surely, a very organic, earthy and resolute tune, with its signature round vocal, We The People, Never Free, Oceania, Tis of thee,… I just found this closing number invigorating and cathartic and an inspired ending to a magisterial work of rock music.
As someone who enjoys themed, subject driven music, albums and musical pieces, there isn’t much in the way of comparison to anything I have ever heard, except maybe The Wall, by Pink Floyd, although 2084 Empire seems fuller and more expansive, so maybe that comparison is unfair.
2084 Empire is a panoramic, morally insightful, compulsive, provocative tour de force masterpiece of progressive music. A triumph. It weaves the listener through considerable time and space in a future we can only hope will stay as fiction or fantasy. It is lucid, encompassing, gripping, literary, and for this listener, transformative. One of the best albums for me this year. I wholeheartedly recommend this for a deep long listen, or better yet, multiple listens. Please make sure though, you bring the popcorn. 😉
TRACK LISTING
01. 2084 (7:42)
02. Propaganda (5:38)
03. The Empire State (4:53)
04. Subterranean (5:56)
05. Airstrip One (11:29)
06. Zealot (8:01)
07. The Brotherhood (5:02)
08. Oceania (25:21)
– Ministry Of Love
– Ministry Of Plenty
– Population Control
– Ministry Of Peace
– Ministry Of Truth
– Ministry Of Love II
09. Permanent War (6:56)
10. The National Anthem (8:07)
Total Time – 89:05
MUSICIANS
Kenny Bissett – Lead Vocals, Guitar, Keyboards
Patric Farrell – Guitar, Bass, Keyboards, Programming, Backing Vocals
Pete Fithian – Keyboards
Lalo – Drums
ADDITIONAL INFO
Record Label: Independent
Country of Origin: US
Date of Release: 5th June 2026
LINKS
Built For The Future – Facebook (Group) | Bandcamp | YouTube
