If All The Lights In The Sky was a fun little gig, this album is a full-blown festival.

The upward trend in terms of quality from Area 11's debut album to this is a very promising sign of things to come. ModSynth hits harder, pushes the boundaries further and gives us a fuller experience than ATLITS. I loved ATLITS, but this album is something else. It is definitely worth a buy if you like the previews, but continue reading for my blow-by-blow breakdown.

We start off with a fairly conceptual intro in Override [C] (which is the final part in the Override 'trilogy' - worth listening to them in order). We start with a bassy synth intro which soon blends perfectly into guitars and drums in that signature Area 11 style that we've come to know and love. Sparkles*'s (it's a tough call when you need to stick an apostrophe at the end of his name like that) vocals kick in early on in that positive, energetic style he does so well. However, Override [C] does something a bit different too. It introduces an orchestral kick that we didn't expect from this band. Overall, a great start.

The Contract seems to tell the story of the band's intent to stay independent, and their dislike for the idea of signing up to a publisher or label. Introducing new riffs and mixing them with a somewhat funky beat for the chorus makes this track unique and gives it a great punch. Again, everything feels fresh, lively and excited, which is what seems to be the ethos behind everything Area 11 makes.

Now we come to Watchmaker. To be completely fair, there is a criticism to be made here for how similar the intro sounds to that of Muse's Bliss, but I would argue that it's unfair to berate them for it. It's different enough. It's transformative. Back to the song at hand, a seemingly creationist theme and a hard rock edge causes this song to be the setting for many a circle pit when the band tour! (I've been there!)

Versus is one of the heaviest tracks of the album; right from the get-go. The track is laden with arterial heavy synth, hard-hitting riffs, and rare screaming from Sparkles* that leave you reeling and excited for more.

Processor gives us a moment to breathe before continuing the party. The very ending of Versus seems to lead into the theming for the intro of Processor, as though there is a threshold between these two songs that sets the precedent for the distinct change in feel for the rest of the album. More screaming from Sparkles* sets sections of this song on fire, in a fantastically electronicore way. At the same time, this track has a beautiful melodic motif going on - especially toward the end, in great juxtaposition.

A toast to the Red Queen, please! A unique track that feels very regal and appropriate for Her Majesty. Violins help ground this song and give it a mature, well-mannered vibe. Without being too conservative, of course!

If we pretend the whole album is just one track, Angel Lust - to me - feels like the bridge. The vocals are quite synthy and and guitars have a softer-than-usual edge, giving this track a numb, bright feeling.

In my opinion, The Life Of A Ghost sounds quite Pink Floyd-esque. It's as though we pushed the brakes a little at Angel Lust, and now we've firmly pressed them. This is a slow track, with a nice rhythm. It took me a while before I started enjoying this track to be honest, but at the same time, it is right at home in this album, with Area 11 refusing to allow people to criticise them for being "samey".

After The Flags, a personal favourite! The previous track lures you into a false sense of security, with this track waiting just around the corner to get you all fired up again! The tempo hits us from the start with Leo's drums, soon joined by Parv on guitar in a killer riff that gets the crowd going like no other in this album. The shortest song in the album makes up for it's brevity with energy, but it's so good that I can't help wanting more.

Nebula follows, with a sky-high bright synth intro that merges with guitars for the continuing melody. After The Flags is the knock-out punch, Nebula is the remedy.

In the eleventh song of their first Album, Area 11 made the song last eleven minutes and eleven seconds long. See a pattern here? I doubt I was the only one to be a little disappointed when I saw that Panacea And The Prelogue is only 6:58. However, after listening to it, I wouldn't change a thing. I shan't say anything else about it. It's a perfect ending. But as the name suggests,

This is just the beginning.