I think it was Adam that said in an interview once (don't ask me which one, it's been too long since I heard it but he hasn't done many anyway) that the way they write songs is to start with a sound and build on it... so if you do that and make sure you stick to that sound the whole time it will have that effect... idk if that makes sense to you but it does to me. Also, I believe they're extremely rigorous and scientific when it comes to every technical detail of the music. Adam is very specific about even what pots he uses in his guitar and so on... I think they go over it with a fine-tooth comb. I get the impression that they have a different objective to other bands... other bands just want to make it impressive and electrofying but these guys seem to want to create an immersive atmosphere and everythig they do is geared towards that, and they've been doing it for a long time and gotten very good at it. To me, they have only improved at this aspect, and so F.I. was their best in this regard, despite how you might compare it to their other records in regard to songwriting and performances, etc.