The Future Bites is guaranteed to weather the ravages of time.
While this is another step into a more pop centred aesthetic, Wilson’s song writing has not suffered, being able to touch on many complex issues, while not taking himself too seriously.
Sixth solo set burrows further down a beguiling pop rabbit hole.
The Future Bites is a great grown-up pop record - knowing and self-aware, but never too much for its own good.
The Future Bites objectively deserves applause for perpetuating Steven Wilson's integrity and creativity, even if it's a markedly—and perhaps intentionally—divisive collection, too.
Despite its dark, cautionary subject matter, The Future Bites is Steven Wilson’s most powerful and commercially appealing set to date.
It’s a long way from the psychedelic odysseys and ambient drones of his Porcupine Tree days: not prog, but always progress.
The Future Bites is one of Wilson’s best albums. He has observed a great deal over the past few years, and working on some of rock’s greatest albums has certainly inspired him to reach for new heights.
Conceptually, the album revolves around a post-apocalyptic vision of an overly materialist society, and while the electro-pop trappings are almost never “happy,” they serve as a slick backdrop to the dystopian landscape Wilson envisions.
Powerful and thought-provoking, if depressing, The Future Bites ultimately asks you to take a good hard look at what the hell you’re doing with your life.
Arrangements are slick but sparse, clinical canvases on which melodies bloom one after another, resulting in a mature strain of pop that suits Steven’s style but will – and already has – rubbed some fans the wrong way.
Most fans ... shouldn't find The Future Bites an inconsistent entry in Wilson's catalog, but an arguably minor aside that steps sideways instead of pursuing a real change of direction.
A bold reinvention for the modern progressive rock giant that will polarize his audience.
The best thing you can say about The Future Bites is that it’s relatively merciful, as it only lasts for 40 minutes.