This album fights for top tier of three tiers among my rankings. All the points about songwriting, and songs not being as memorable and clunky are true. And the vocal melodies are not very strong as a whole, minus OAMOT and Afterlife. But OAMOT is helped out a lot for those two "choruses" IMO by JP and JM's lead lines/fills.
The album really needs to be heard via WDADR-U IMO for some doubters. I disliked this album until I heard that. With JLB helping the songs the best he could, I could appreciate the writing more on the album.
There are so many good ideas, a good amount of solid moments, ok to good lyrics (too esoteric though overall) and some heavy heavy parts. Yes, quick turns. But with everything going on, I much rather have a tone of underdeveloped ideas often vs. some of DT's later output. I still have not found everything I will get out of WDADU, where DT12 is pretty much set. Sure that doesn't mean the album is better, but as a fan, it's allows for deeper listening when SFAM & I&W have been worn to dust. The vocal melodies are really what suffer, but I cannot really fault the band. First album, with tough lyrics written by members for a vocalist they didn't have who had an octave or two higher range ideally.
As I was noting about this album vs. the moody feel of Awake in another thread, this album feels darker to me. The melodies, especially instrumentally, are not pleasant quite a bit. TOWHTSTS is downright odd in the beginning, and off putting. It's a shame to me the song loses it's mood once the vocals kick in. As an overall mood for that first minute or so, I don't really feel DT has ever repeated that. ANTR is just forced at times.
I am biased, as I'm a bassist. And up to this point, this album is Myung's shining moment. He clearly wrote himself the best parts for this album vs. all others, without losing the heaviness when needed (see Fortune in Lies, LFAGA, OAMOT, TOWHTSTS and so on). I feel the doing what's best for the band is hogwash at times, as he much more lays his influences on his sleeve on the album. But again, when JP needs those riffs thickened up, I feel JM is always there.