BUILT FOR THE FUTURE

The third studio album release from this San Antonia band notes a slight shift in song delivery style: this sounds like 1980s Aussie New Wave Synth-Pop!

1. "Memory Machines" (5:47) two-chord ABABCB Aussie Techno-pop with some tinges of CURE-ishness. (8.4/10)

2. "The Thought Police" (5:28) rather flat 2-chord pop sounding very much like ICEHOUSE or some other Aussie New Wave band from the 1980s. (8.25/10)

3. "Argot" (7:42) heavier four-chord pseudo-prog that ends up sounding like darker FLOCK OF SEAGULLS. Far too long and drawn out with nothing dynamic or exciting to add to the main palette or mood. (13/15)

4. "Proletariat" (6:05) plodding but effective in the way PINK FLOYD can be and FIELDS OF THE NEPHILIM is. There is much in this drawn out song that begs comparison to both The Talking Head's "The Overload" and The Cure's Disintegration vibe. A top three song. (9/10)

5. "Supernational" (6:12) more techno-popped prog in the vein of 1980s artists ICEHOUSE, MIDNIGHT OIL, and THE CHURCH (who are, coincidentally, all Australian). Once again the sound reproduction alone is almost enough--plus, it's one of the more tightly formed songs on the album. (8.66667/10)

6. "Diaspora" (6:11) more melody-oriented heavy prog lite. I commend the band for being able to work the word "diaspora" into a song lyric in a clever way. (8.66667/10)

7. "Zeit" (6:04) three-chord rock with great sound engineering and 1980s Australian vocals. (8.66667/10)

8. "The Collective" (5:18) ALAN PARSONS PROJECT-like mood, sound, vocals, lyrical theme, and music. (8.4/10)

9. "Heretic" (5:21) THE CURE c. 1987!? Though the vocalist is more in line with DEPECHE MODE, LOVE AND ROCKETS, or NEW ORDER or ICEHOUSE, that's what I hear. Another top three song. (8.75/10)

10. "101" (10:03) a little Brian Eno in this vocal, the music is more akin to that of the Australian New Wave/Techno Pop (as well as Talking Heads' "The Overload"). The heavy section in the fifth minute is different but still so rudimentary! It just has no soul! (17.3333/20)

Total Time 64:11

Incredible sound reproduction of incredibly simplistic, rudimentary techno-pop rock songs. I like the concept--and the lyrics are actually pretty decent (not hokey), but the music lacks any kind of sophistication that might connote prog-worthy musicianship. The use of voice/radio/television/film samples throughout are a plus in that they offer a thread to cohesively unite the songs into one continuous story. None of this is unpleasant to listen to, on the contrary: it's very pretty, easy to get into music, it's just not proggy enough--has far more in common with 1980s techno-pop.

C+/3.5 stars; rated up for engineering and clever, well-thought-out, and lyrically commendable concept. A clean, excellently-engineered and cleverly contrived concept album of 1980s-sounding techno/synth-pop that every prog lover should judge for themselves. Most of you--especially nostalgia-buffs--will probably love this.

Back in the heady early days of prog, it was common practice for any band to choose a great name as well as some mind-blowing artwork, in order to properly brand the style of music. Outside of the law firm, Emerson, Lake and Palmer, groups went out of their way to be inventive, with monikers like Yes, King Crimson, Vander Graf Generator, Premiata Forneria Marconi, to name only the tip of the iceberg. Hipgnosis, Roger Dean, Paul Whitehead, Hugh Syme, among many others, are legendary icons of the progressive rock genre. US band 'Built for the Future' certainly earned their keep with such a moniker, as it invites the mind to imagine a slogan for a sophisticated but well-made automobile that will actually last beyond the manufacturers warranty! Secondly, the metallic blue steel cover of their latest opus 2084: Heretic is sublimely appropriate as it injects a sense of imminence, with some overt travel wear that proves it was assembled very sturdy. I enjoyed the previous material, the 2015 debut Chasing Light as well as 2020's Brave New World (not exactly retro titles, eh?). This new recording is an explosive upgrade as it may easily vie for top spots on any 2023 list. This San Antonio, Texas (or as some people write it: text us) is led by the dynamic duo of Kenny Bissett on lead vocals, guitars, and keys as well as Patric Farrell, a wizard multi-instrumentalist, who plays pretty much every instrument except drums. David Pena on guitars, Lalo on drums and Pete Fithian completes the line-up on keyboards. The album title will suggest a retooling of the Orwellian mega work known as 1984, a proto-typical prog subject matter, that has been addressed by a few famous names already. Except that 2084: Heretic was ...Built for the Future!

The dystopian adventure kicks off with the obligatory sound effects on the thumping "Memory Machines", before abject control is assumed by an absolutely devastating bass line that will curdle your blood as it penetrates menacingly all your pores, a tectonic drum beat and Kenny grasping the microphone, with trepidation and perhaps even bulging eyes at the mere thought of the Thought Police watching and listening. Icy mellotron orchestrations adorn the menacing memory machine, hurtled along by ominous guitar strokes fizzing electric outrage. High voltage modern prog of the finest caliber. No respite for the sheeple, "Argot" is a cleverly sweeping piece that layers protective coatings in order to maintain the anonymity of beliefs that go counter to the impervious propaganda. Claiming to follow but really wishing only to rebel against the stifling grasp of Big Brother. The vocal work in particular is as athletic as track meet (pun?), Bissett hustling words as if they were going to be imminently deleted. The submissive theme continues on the sweeping "Proletariat", a clear message of servitude that continues to punish the unvanquished, wrapped up in an electronic haze oozing doom, gloom, and fear. The symphonic 1980s feel would make this a perfect companion to the Wall, the imagination can run rampant, the subjugation of the masses being illustrated as a dramatic reality. From this moment on in the set list, the mood gets darker and the rage more tragic, as apathy and desolation kick in, that nasty bass kneeling at the shrine without any recourse. "Supernational" thus pays homage to the 1984 musical timeline, as if the Eurythmics are secretly conspiring with Bauhaus to vent their global angst. In parallel, the relentlessly punkoid guitar behaves as if BFTF channel their Quark, Strangeness and Charm -era Hawkwind memories. Speaking of heavy steamroller action, "Diaspora" threateningly conveys the eternal nomadistic urge for people to flee their culture, their language, and their families, in order to find salvation from one form of danger or another. Sensational track that has immediate sonic appeal, a chorus that is instantly seared in the nodes, repeated ad infinitum, and shoved over the border beyond the no man's lands by that deliriously insistent bass guitar. As perfect a prog 'single' as one could hope for. The word "Zeit" in German means Time, and it has no relationship with the Floyd classic as this piece keeps the trembling foot on the metal pedal, and absolute whirlwind highway escape with the black-shirted police in on the chase, sirens blaring. Rough, metallic, blustery, and pervasive, this is another tour de force with a main melody that is immediately seductive, as 'we all do what we are told' flashes through the ominous mellotron gales. The response is not to follow! A semblance of peaceful harmony appears as a mirage among the dunes "The Collective", a stunning track that veers into a completely ethereal attitude, superb guitar lines and off the charts vocals from Bissett. The story line stands together in calm defiance, a lesson surely learned from Mandela, MLK and Gandhi, as a weapon of sanity and justice. Illuminate. The 80s feel is intelligently presented on the title track, the connection to 1984 clear as crystal. This could have been done by The Cure, Peter Murphy, early Modern English or the Danse Society (a fantastic band back in the day), what with that up-front and devastating bass line asking all the questions and the drum/keyboard/guitars answering. 'Everything is fine', yeah, right! An absolute cracker jack track that begs to be heard by a multitude of crossover fans, as it transcends time and place. The end comes with the dreaded "101", a room that assumes the doom at the mere sight of its barren, sweat drenched walls, stained floors, a solitary light bulb hanging like a noose and rusted metal bucket in the corner. The rat cage sits on the floor, ready to be administered to the rebellious fools who dare to maintain their silence. The track is a sweeping cinematographic depiction of the words above, as the torture of loosening a tongue weighs heavily on the hog-tied subject. Mellotrons convey the emotions of despair, the bass showing defiance and the drums, miserable surrender. Just keep on beating those skins, Lalo (excuse the play on words, but?). What victory is a life without freedom?

This album will certainly be the talk of the community. If not, there will be a knock at your door at 3.00am and you will vanish.

5 apostates

MAGNIFICENT TRANSPOSITION OF GEORGE ORWELL'S 1984 INTO A POSSIBLE FUTURE BY CLASS ACT FROM TEXAS

American outfit Built for the Future were founded in 2015 by multi-instrumentalists Patric Farrell and Kenny Bissett who is also the band's vocalist. Joining them on guitars is Chris Benjamin, their previous collaborator David Peña not available for this album, and drummer Lalo Herrera.

2084: Heretic is the first part of a planned trilogy of albums inspired by George Orwell's seminal work, 1984. There are a couple of inherent dangers in this. Firstly, the source material is very well-known with ideas within it becoming everyday phrases and words - Big Brother, Room 101, Thought Police & etc. Secondly, in rock music, the album has been covered several times, including by Anthony Phillips and Rick Wakeman, titans of the progressive rock world. Therefore, any new interpretation must be different, I feel, bringing something new to the party, and 2084 thankfully succeeds.

The clue is in the year. 1984 is, of course, now in the past, but a lot of people misunderstand Orwell's intentions. He was not a futurist, a science fiction writer, he was an acute societal observer, and 1984 was intended as a warning to society of the dangers of not just totalitarianism, although his sorrow at the depths to which socialism had plunged with Stalin is well documented, but of the stark dangers of the infantilisation of the proletariat (and this welcomed by the populace), fed on their screens a diet of beer, football, lottery, fake news, and "entertainment" ? I defy anyone reading this review to make a genuine case for this observation not being where the bulk of citizens are in 2023, and it worries me greatly that what Built for the Future have now transposed to 2084 will be even worse. I might add that I am one of life's natural optimists, but we must be alive to this, and the fact that corporates and western governments have realised that they don't even need to turn to political dictatorship to achieve these ends ? the multitude of billions gawping constantly at screens churning out whatever rubbish which excites their neurones will do, and this, of course, is of itself a means to an end of achieving political power ? witness Trump & Johnson for starters.

BftF provide us with a concept album of where the thematic behind Orwell is heading and, itself, should serve as a timely warning for us to change direction.

Lofty aspirations artistically, then. This, though, is naught without some good music to accompany it, and I am glad to report that BftF deliver. They have produced an album which is not only sonically impressive, but it also speaks to us visually with the music, the protagonists taking inspiration from all three film versions of 1984.

There are ten tracks on this first instalment, and as you will see from my forthcoming interview with the band, there have been shifts in which tracks were felt to fit on which instalment. The band take their influences from a wide range of artists, from Rush to Tears for Fears alongside Floyd ending up at a Foo Fighters, RPWL, and Steven Wilson junction. Therefore, as eclectic as this website loves.

We open with Memory Machines. As is common throughout the album, we get recordings of the movie adaptations to assist with the theme. The party controls all records and human memories ? witness this still happening in China & Russia. Bissett has a good expressive voice, and the thundering rhythm section is a strong feature of this track, the bassline melody especially pleasing alongside some very good programming ? and there is a rich mellotron in there. Indeed, the band use this classic instrument to good effect. There is a very good guitar solo just over a minute out from the close, and the denouement is heavily later Rush influenced. This track, which you can hear below, showcases all that is good about this act.

The Thought Police, Oceania's secret police who punish thought crime, those musings not approved by the ruling party. I like the chugging guitar work on this which brings a sense of menace to a track which is post rock in its impact, including some more clever keyboard work over the main riffs but never over imposing. The "we see it all" vocal at the close is effectively demanding of the listener.

Argot is up next. The word itself is a secret vocabulary used by a group of people wanting to keep their discussions out of reach of the authorities. This has a nice and heavy opening with some more of that crunching bass guitar and a conspiratorial guitar throughout. The drums are wonderfully complex in their execution. The vocals flow with the tensions between the words the machine pumps out, eradicating choice, and the need to speak without giving doubts or anger away. This is a very strong rock song with a grunge underbelly, and we move to the close with a dystopian wall of vocal noise putting across the drama very well, with the sound effects at the very end distinctly Floydian.

Proletariat. Basically us. The workers. The drones. A concept as old as humanity, and the word always puts me in mind of the Roman masses crammed into the amphitheatres' screaming for the blood of animals, slaves, convicted criminals in what must have been a ghastly affair, but the point being that crowds can be especially cruel and stupid, the latter being Orwell's point. To begin, this is a more melodic piece of music with the keys and guitars combining well in a song which really gives off a 1980's pop/rock feel, especially with the programming effects, which are interestingly interspersed with more traditional progressive sounds. I really like it, and I have embedded it below. Close your eyes, and you can visualise the drones walking in a mass line to the factories or offices. More to the point, the knowing lyrics that the damage has been done, and we fade to grey, all of us staring blankly at the screens of propaganda whilst we move along. Really quite brilliant, and the intensity moves up several notches in the final segment.

Supernational has been my Video of the Week this past few days, and it is embedded again here. I love this track. It races along at a cracking pace, with a massive bass melody and drums pounding underneath the lead guitars in a piece which preaches the eternity of the party and its people, following the agenda of hate because this is your human right ? a damned clever inversion of what we would consider human rights in 2023. Heavy, classy, almost punk rock in its execution with progressive sensibilities.

Diaspora follows. The drums and riffs thunder with some clever distorted guitar and grandiose keyboards. The movement of the many just trying to live their lives, this track perfectly exemplifies the chaos and sadness of such movement and isolation, especially in the vocal harmonies, which are a prominent feature throughout the album. This track is quite knowing, in that it is likely that emigration will only become more pronounced as climate change impacts severely on the world's poorest people.

Zeit. The sounds of war fill the opening seconds. I really like the lyrics here talking about the perpetual war supposedly to bring us peace, and the fact that we all do what we are told, in a way reminding me a bit of the Gabriel track Milgram's 37 from So but with a harder edge here reflecting the ongoing conflict. There are some very nice keyboard textures in this track which chugs along.

The Collective was released as a teaser single a year ago now. Beneath the screaming newscast, there is some lovely orchestration in a track I highlighted on this website at the time and still gives me a huge amount of pleasure to listen to. The guitar solo performed by Bissett is haunting and my forthcoming interview with the band goes into some detail discussing this fine dreamy slab of psych rock which is ever so knowing an exposition of corporate culture.

Heretic, the title track, and a word which resonates down the ages for brave people who dare to question the accepted viewpoint, who dare to be different, who risk their lives to expose their views. Musically a fine slab of modern 80's inspired rock music, just listen to that bass thumping, the drums pushing the track along, the wall of sound created by the keyboards, and the intricate guitar work amongst all this, whilst Bissett sings a lovely set of words very effectively. Take a listen below to a track which deserves widespread airplay.

We close with the infamous 101, that chamber where whole personalities disappear. It is the longest piece on the album and a true epic at over ten minutes. The track is a slow burner, with the opening passage deeply thoughtful, some lovely chords and soundscapes created, especially by the keys with more pounding rhythm section, and Bissett's voice is special here narrating the story. The second segment turns a bit darker with some grungy guitar riffs before we get a very nice expansion led by the keyboards return, the band rocking out with our subject surrounded by walls and losing his mental life. The second half begins with the third distinct segment having more of a classic progressive feel, with some very nice sounds from the keys rising above a pretty guitar sequence. The subject is now falling apart, and his mind is concentrating on resisting the propaganda and torture, introducing a harder segment again featuring a smashing bass lead and some classic vocal harmonies leading into a frenetic segment before the closing passage begins with heraldic keyboards above the distorted noise below. Big Brother stands ready to welcome back those heretics who might have lost their way. The band slowly and deliberately bring the music to a thumping close as the victorious party speaker blasts out of the screen, and the wartime propaganda proclaims the enemy completely vanquished.

2084: Heretic is a fine album. It is the sound of a band who have meticulously prepared a work which finds them clearly pushing their art and vision forward. As I said before, it is not merely a retread of a familiar story. Of all the music inspired by the book, I particularly enjoyed The Eurythmics soundtrack and Bowie's work. Built for the Future have produced an album which I think stands alongside these and the progressive artists I mentioned before. It is a fine rock album, one for our time, and comes highly recommended.

---Steve Lazanby at LAZLAND

Watch out Peplum!!! For yours truly who is not a big fan of albums that exceed fifty-five or even sixty minutes, well for once, I did violence to myself with this second album from the Texans of BUILT FOR THE FUTURE which is approaching seventy-five minutes ! This album is neither more nor less than the sequel to "Chasing Light" released in the summer of 2015 (five years already) and which tells the journey of life, continuity if you prefer. "Brave New World", welcome our traveler to a new world. We have between our ears a concept album about time, the past, suffering, hope and the path that remains to be traveled to reach bliss.

Note that BUILT FOR THE FUTURE is a trio in the studio but becomes a sextet on stage. The iconography of the album is the work of Michal KLIMPCZAK who brings his futuristic and dystopian eye to what a new world could be... We cannot ignore the fact that this album is dedicated to the memory of Neil PEART, one of the greatest drummers of all time if not the greatest. As Patric FARRELL says: Thank you Neil.

From the introduction of the inaugural and eponymous track, it's a firework of keyboard drifts of all kinds, it explodes everywhere in the speakers, an energetic PINK FLOYD like never before mixed with the ELOY of "Inside" or " Floating" and metal elements for the guitars which could come for example from NINE INCH NAILS, so solid. A title little sung given its length, which will not be the case for the following, conclusion which is not hasty, it starts very strong (10/10). With "Breathe" we are faced with a shorter title, more radio calibrated (the COLDPLAY of the first years is not very far away), which could be a hit on the airwaves, carried by the excellent vocal work of Kenny BISSETT and a few tweaks electronic well in tune with the times, very pleasant without being innovative (9/10).

"The Sheltering Sky" which follows, is a slightly popish mid tempo (there is nothing pejorative about it) which also borrows from PINK FLOYD augmented by a very high-flying performance from David PENA's Rickenbacker guitar, when we say that a six-string swirls, we have here the most beautiful example (9/10). I don't skip the whole disc, however, because it's well supplied with varied guitars, 12-string acoustics, electrics and soloists (7/10). Of a completely different caliber presents itself to us, "City of the Sun" and its almost ten minutes, cornerstone of the work of the opinion even of Patric FARRELL, the piece which triggered an increase of inspiration to complete the project in its entirety in just a few weeks, listen carefully to the multiplicity of guitars, it's a bit messy but it's seriously mind-blowing, the musical model is to be found on the side of George HARRISON solo (for the Hindu limit passages) or the dirigible of PLANT, PAGE, JONES and BONHAM, no less (9/10).

The short "Azimuth" is also radiophonic like "Breathe", filled with multiplied choirs with a beautiful synthesizer motif in the background played by Peter FITHIAN, live keyboardist of the group from SAN ANTONIO (8/10). We have the two longest titles left, "Distant Land" first of all and its quarter of an hour, flooded with spatial keyboards on a background of sharp guitars, we are there frankly in a psyche spatiotemporal tunnel of the most beautiful effect (the first four minutes are in this respect a real treat as well as the instrumental passage between the seventh and tenth minute), with particular work on the voices, it's soft, it's violent, it's also complex, just imagine what could give the meeting between the ELOY of the seventies and the YES of "90125" or "Big Generator" with this Rickenbacker which carries the whole, beware a range not easy to listen to given its extent, personally I I found the part between the eleventh and the thirteenth minute relatively indigestible to remain polite but it is part of a whole, so ...... A piece to listen to many times before eventually taming it (7/10 ).

BFTF's new journey ends with "Line of Sight" THE piece more particularly inspired by and dedicated to Neil PEART, the one where Patric FARRELL put all his heart into it to end this "Brave New World" in style and success is at the rendezvous, a piece divinely sung by Kenny BISSETT, keyboards and guitars share the spotlight throughout the twelve minutes, a catchy piece moreover, with again these multiple choirs (which can annoy in the event of overconsumption I admit it), and a synthesized end worthy of the German school of the seventies, good and beautiful work (9/10).

In summary, if you take the time to listen to this long disc, the overall satisfaction will be there, you wills ears will not regret it, little reminder all the same, memorizing the pieces is not easy..

Competent guitar-based prog rock from Texas. Interestingly, the band chooses the long-playing song format to express its musical ideas more than not. Also, the band chooses to use some quite simple effects and techniques when recording their tracks.

1. "Brave New World" (11:51) nice Blade Runner-like atmospherics to open the album. A U2 guitar and PETER GABRIEL-like drum palette join in during the second minute and continue to construct and fill in the song's form (with the help of guitars and excellent bass) and flow until the fifth minute when we see a shift into a more spacious and circumspect accompaniment to Kenny Bissett's lead vocal. Kenny's voice reminds me very much--both in style and effect--of that of the lead vocalist for Dutch band FOURTEEN TWENTYSIX's Lighttown Closure (a very CURE-like album and sound). HIs voice is a bit of an acquired taste--which, after three listens or so, become accepted as part of the baseline fabric of the B4tF sound. (21.5/25)

2. "Breathe" (5:34) a little Tears for Fears and The Cure feel to this one. Nice drums (all programmed?). (8.5/10)

3. "The Sheltering Sky" (7:55) A song that tries hard on many levels with layers of effects and atmospherics but, for some reason, just never completely gels. It's decent, and interesting, just not Earth-shattering or ground-breaking. The vocals (both lead and harmonized background) I think are one of its weaknesses. (13/15)

4. "Zenith" (7:15) sounds like it could come straight off of a Kevin Moore CHROMA KEY album.(13/15)

5. "City of the Sun" (9:54) great PETER GABRIEL/FOURTEEN TWENTYSIX-like opening continues being quite engaging when Kenny's vocals enter. Probably my favorite song on the album. Its main weakness is in the relative monotony of its flow and development. (17.5/20)

6. "Azimuth" (4:08) a quite straightforward song structure which is made somewhat more interesting by unusual sound choices from the various guitars. Sounds like a VON HERTZEN BROTHERS theme. (8.25/10)

7. "Distant Land" (15:18) slide guitar in constant whale-motion in the background is the distinctive feature in the opening section of this other CHROMA KEY-like song. Awesome instrumental passage beginning at the end of the fourth minute in which David's guitar turns to lead and the band takes off in a nice fast pace. The atmospheric slowdown for the eighth, ninth, and tenth minutes is nice in a PINK FLOYD/LUNATIC SOUL kind of way. Nice YES-like section with smooth group choral-style vocals in the twelfth minute is, unfortunately, spoiled by Kenny's lead in the thirteenth. The final two-and-a-half minutes feel like industrial sci-fi soundtrack music within which multi-voiced vocals are implanted. My second favorite song on the album. (26.25/30)

8. "Line of Sight" (12:32) opens with a sound and feel that reminds me of the energy and in-your-face music of Swedish band BROTHER APE's 2010 masterpiece, A Rare Moment of Insight. Over the course of its twelve-and-a-half minutes my assessment changes little (though B4tF's vocals are nowhere in the same league as Brother Ape)--though again I am quite often reminded of Dutchman Chris Van der Linden's FOURTEEN TWENTYSIX project. Nice PETER GABRIEL-like drum programming throughout--and YES-like vocals in the final two minutes. Nice ending to the album. My third top three song. (21.5/25)

There is an unmistakable 80s-ishness to the music here--especially the stylings and treatments of the vocals. I also found myself often reminded of Kevin MOORE's CHROMA KEY project of 1998-2004. Nice music but not quite top tier. There is something not quite right in the recording, engineering, and/or mixing of the vocals. Perhaps they need to have a professional engineer in a professional studio with an outside-the-band producer involved in their recording projects in order to provide some objective inputs.

B/four stars.

The sequel to CHASING LIGHT, finds the protaganist on a brand new homeworld that is both strange and inspiring. The feelings of loneliness, regret and fear are coexisting with the thoughts of hope, optimism and seeking a new life. ​ B4tF takes steps to present a more sci-fi/prog journey, cinematic and emotional as the music gets a bit more adventurous and shades darker. ​ BRAVE NEW WORLD starts the cinematic theme with a swell of spacey synths that introduce the album with epic intention. The first section of the song is the arrival of the traveller to this new place, All instrumental, the theme follows David's delayed guitars as they swim in mellotron space. The middle section sets the sci-tone for the album. Telling the story of being somewhere, but not sure how you feel about it. Fear, excitement, loneliness, determination, all are felt as the traveller begins the journey. Kenny's lonely vocal captures the emotional state of the character. Finally reprised by the intro theme returning to signify the album is afoot! ​ BREATHE is considered to be one of the more accessible songs on the album. Making a loud statement about the time is now to let go, to allow for new travels, its a personal declaration that this is the now. Pursue the path. David's 12 string rickenbacker adds a Beatle/Harrison flair, and the tingly mandolin drives the verses. Kenny sings the chorus with a solo vocal, raising the intensity each time he reaches that point in the song. The climax is the go moment, where everything erupts to a high energy anthem. ​ THE SHELTERING SKY is a very important lyrical moment on the album. The song was transformed by David's gentle Pink Floyd-like guitar motif during the first section of the song. Kenny sings the pensive lyrics and reflects on how life passes us by. Time cannot stop. There are limitations to the number of days we have. The lyrics were inspired by the book The Sheltering Sky. The theme of the story is about finite time, mortality. A key motif lyrically is in the middle section, "who can find a past?" section. This motif is repeated in the last part of the album again, as it really represents the questions the traveller faces. Special listeners of our music may notice that this lyric is also in PARALLEL LINES, a single released last summer...as that song was intended to be on the album and continue the lyrical connection.Kenny gives an emotional vocal performance, going from reflective to declaring his feelings up unto the end section where Kenny shouts his desire to absorb all that we can. David creates a cacophony of guitars in the final section, that swirl and dazzle the spectrum. ​ ZENITH is the first single off of the album. Primarily due to it's representing both accessibility and the unusual feel of the new songs. In an odd time signature of 5/4, and then 7/8 for the chorus, the song has an angular approach. The bass guitar is the tonal guidepost for the verses, and Kenny delivers lyrics that demonstrate the need to keep climbing over obstacles. Pushing the limits to reach a goal. Getting over the top, to get to the other side. David's guitars are floating and meteoric, dashing from one side to the other. the song features 12string acoustic guitars, a fragmented moog solo, and a high speed frantic lead guitar outro by David that leaves a resonance to savor. ​ CITY OF THE SUN is one of two songs that changed the course of the album. 20 or so songs were written and in progress, this song came along, and the feeling and presentation just inspired Patric and he wrote the rest of the album in weeks. Discarding the previous set of songs. This song is often regarded as the favorite track, it has three distinct sections, the first being in 9/8, the lamenting melodies sing of what we all want. We all want things to be what they cannot be. We still hope for this. But things don't always work out the way we hope. The middle section erupts with a Fripp-Zep like riff. The marching pace returns to 4/4, and the voices lecture again about how time goes by, and once something is done, its over. Ominous choral vocals send this sentiment as Kenny and Patric provide the dense vocals. The final section is the realization that things will be what they are, face them, move on to your goal. In this case, the proverbial city in the sun. What that means to each of us. The song rises to a crescendo and then drifts in to a single lonely tron string line. ​ AZIMUTH is about setting your direction. Letting the past go. Facing the pain. And going for the city. Another use of the band's moniker in the lyric..."I built for the future, but the future didn't last". The song is brief, and set between two long epic songs, to give a bit of respite, energy and gear up the listener. It jangles with a Genesis and Beatle bounce. The keyboard riff is played by PETER FITHIAN who is the B4tF live keyboardist, he guests on the song he calls his favorite of all B4tF songs! ​ DISTANT LAND is the epic. Written by Kenny, worked up to this state by Patric. Embellished to sci-fi magic by David. The new writing that inspired Patric left the Kenny penned songs from the first set abandoned. But looking for a way to get Kenny a writing credit, Patric looked through Kenny's ideas and Distant Land stood out. Kenny began finishing it with the new idea of being on the album, wrote the incredible vocal melodies and lyrics, and then sent to Patric and David to work it up accordingly. The song is in multiple sections, the first is the reflection of the traveller, facing the journey to hopefully find the destination, the city of the sun. The second section is the firey admission that the pain is there, the scars, the past haunt. But focus is on the new sky, the new sun and the new land. The middle section, Overlander, is another cinematic moment that creates the image of the crossing the landscape, a pulse beats as steps seem to be taken, winds blow, the guitar is gentle and reflective. David added lovely guitar touches to give the piece a true sci- fi feel. This all explodes in the the climactic section back in odd time, and now a choral presentation of voices driving the determined traveller onward. This is the obvious Yes-moment on the album, as the rickenbacker bass rumbles a very Squire-like bass line and the vocals stab in a very Yes-like manner. The song reprises the middle section, and emotionally peaks as if falling over the edge...the final reflective section is again where the motif lyric is revisited. Patric and Kenny have a gentle two part harmony moment, fittingly. And then washed away by a space wave of David's guitars pulsing and chiming. ​ LINE OF SIGHT is the other song that changed the course of the album. The song was tweaked after N.Peart died, and the intro was purposely adapted to nod to the trio, and to the great Professor. This was done at the very last moment after the album was already done. The song has a power riff and then David's counter Howe-like riffs to create an energy and tension, representing the journey. The verses are gentle, and a bit eerie, Kenny captures the emotion that the traveller is feeling after a long quest. The mid section shows David as he lets go. The lead in this part is simply gorgeous. Slow, fast, bends, and then to the crystalline needling that underlies as the mellotrons build back in to the main riff. During the last verses, the traveller realizes that he has reached the City. And that answer may lie ahead. The final coda of the song, and thus the album is a huge vocal choral that chants encouragement. "If you want to believe it's your world, believe it's your world!" is the final sentiment. Declare that you will make this your world, and make the most of it. The choral chants drift to a non-lyrical 'lie lie la la" section that hopefully captures the elation of finally getting there. The last orchestrated lines of the song, drift with meloncholy as they reprise the intro section of the beginning of the album. Implying a cycle... ​ ​ The album is dedicated to the memory of the Professor, Neil Peart. Who not only was the most influential rock drummer in history, but also a huge influence on Patric and how he writes lyrics, uses themes, and honors the importance of words. "I found that Neil has been my biggest influence to how i approach lyrics and theme, and i don't think i realized it until he passed away."--Patric When Neil passed away, parts of the title track BRAVE NEW WORLD and the last song LINE OF SIGHT were re-written to literally and sonically honor The Professor. So listen out for the homage, it was purposeful. And the subtitle for the intro piece was renamed VAPOR TRAIL to again honor NP. ​ Peace to the Earth and the Earthlings aboard. ​