ADTOE is the best album since...

[Algo Fonix]

I think it's their best since SFAM.

[Jamariquay]

Initially, I was going to choose Six Degrees and then I chose SFAM because I remembered the "inspiration corner" thing.  Six Degrees was the first album where you can hear them blatantly trying to copy other bands.  ADTOE is the first album where they don't do that.  So, therefore, it's the best album since SFAM, to me, because SFAM was the last album before Six Degrees that they didn't do that, either.

I'd argue Falling Into Infinity had its own share of moments of "Oh look, there's Metallica!" and "Find the Pink Floyd!" as well, but there were apparently extenuating circumstances there.

[JimmyJava]

They had the "inspiration corner" for SFAM aswell.

[viktorstahl]

As of now, it has to be the best since Scenes.

Can change a lot the nearest months though..

[lordxizor]

Like many before me, I chose SDOIT. Though I heavily considered putting TOT. That's really an underrated album.

[coffees for closers]

It's easily their best album since Six Degrees, for me.

Same for me, I just wish MM was a touch louder in the mix as I feel I have to strain to really hear all the drum parts but this is for another thread.
I think it is clearly better then BCSL and SC, but not as clearly better then Octavarium or Train of Thought, but overall nudges ahead of them. For me Scenes is almost untouchable, but Six Degress overtakes it becasue of diversity and sound quality.

[SnakeEyes]

SFAM might have had "inspiration corner," but the difference between that album and Six Degrees is that it became blatant on Six Degrees.  I can't really find any, "THERE'S TOOL" on SFAM or, "THERE'S A RADIOHEAD PART."  Six Degrees has that all over the album.  It's just .... blatant. 

[The Letter M]

SFAM might have had "inspiration corner," but the difference between that album and Six Degrees is that it became blatant on Six Degrees.  I can't really find any, "THERE'S TOOL" on SFAM or, "THERE'S A RADIOHEAD PART."  Six Degrees has that all over the album.  It's just .... blatant.

"Home"? I always felt there was a distinct Tool influence on "Home". As for "Radio Head", not really, but "The Spirit Carries On" has a distinct Pink Floyd influence, and the ending of "Finally Free" definitely feels like The Beatles' "I Want You (She's So Heavy)". I think it's a bit more forgivable/indistinguishable on SFAM because it's a concept album, and most people just listen to it as one piece, but SDOIT is an album of songs that are, more or less, unrelated, and are more likely to be scrutinized for their influences, in that one might say "This song, ______, sounds like (_band-x)_)'s song, ________." But there are definitely some inspirations/influences on SFAM, though they may not be as apparent as they are on SDOIT and later albums.

-Marc.

[lordxizor]

Home definitely has a Tool influence, but I agree that SDOIT is when inspiration corner started to become more obvious.

[ddtonfire]

Like the majority of people here, I voted for Six Degrees.

Technically, neither of you are with the majority.

[MasterLomaxus]

Black Clouds & Silver Linings

[N4Player]

Black Clouds & Silver Linings

+1

Both albums are equal favourites for me now.

[Mr. Beale]

Right now Octavarium

[Hoppipolla]

Since Octavarium . I'm pretty sure the two are on par for me.

[Addy]

6DOIT

[Cruithne]

Since SFaM.

Currently ADToE sits alone in a second tier of DT albums. It's not quite up to I&W, Awake and SFaM, but unlike the records that used to occupy my second tier of DT records, 6DoIT and 8vm, there are no distinctly weak moments that detract from the overall quality.

My tiers now look like this:

I&W
SFaM
Awake
---------
ADToE
---------
6DoIT
8vm
--------
FII
WDADU
--------
ToT
SC
BC&SL

[lanemeyer]

I think it's their best since Awake.

I'm not as big of a fan of SFAM as most on this board. I like 6DOIT a little more, but there's a few songs on there that didn't have a lot of staying power for me... about half of 6DOIT (the song) I skip on a regular basis. The first disc is excellent, however, with me only having some complaints over the Great Debate (such as lyrics).

My pecking order goes like this:

I&W
Awake
ADTOE
6DOIT
SFAM
... followed by the rest.

Will be interesting to see where ADTOE falls 6 months from now.

[Hprog]

I have liked every single DT album, but I'm quite critical of BC&SL, and listening to ADTOE I notice a huuuuuge difference in sound (hell, the bass can be heard!) and composition. I also liked Systematic Chaos although many fans seem to hate it, but overall ADTOE feels more like classic DT with modern sound, if that's clear. My vote is: the best since Octavarium, 'cause I find that album quite good and very well rounded up, and ADTOE would be a quantum leap over SC and BC&SL.

[tedy]

For me, since SFAM.

1. Images and words
2. Scenes from a memory
3. A dramatic turn of events
4. Awake
5. Six degrees of inner turbulence

I really like this album! 

[Lowdz]

Voted SFAM.
I love 6DOIT but there arre songs I skip. Disc 1 hardly ever gets played.
At the moment ADTOE is my "go to" album. I just realised I hadn't played it for three days so just putting that right. I'd missed it.
It's too early to permanently rank it though. Ask again next year.
If the question was "which DT album would you most like to listen to right now" it's ADTOE.

[Global Laziness]

I love 6DOIT but there arre songs I skip. Disc 1 hardly ever gets played.

WAT

[Cruithne]

I'd argue Falling Into Infinity had its own share of moments of "Oh look, there's Metallica!" and "Find the Pink Floyd!" as well, but there were apparently extenuating circumstances there.

...oh look, there's the middle section of In The Dead Of Night by UK in the middle of Trial Of Tears

I think SFaM was the first time the band made a point of researching other band's music (other concept albums), but 6DoIT was the first album that I'm aware of that MP forced a particular set of albums he wanted to use as influences whereas with past work the influences were more naturally expressed by the writers.

No-one's truly unique, we're all just uniquely derivative.

[Lowdz]

Voted SFAM.
I love 6DOIT but there arre songs I skip. Disc 1 hardly ever gets played.
At the moment ADTOE is my "go to" album. I just realised I hadn't played it for three days so just putting that right. I'd missed it.
It's too early to permanently rank it though. Ask again next year.
If the question was "which DT album would you most like to listen to right now" it's ADTOE.

It's just a bit too much hard work to listen to. I enjy it when I do play it but there's something that puts me off a lot of the time and it's probably the metal. And TGD takes forever to get going. The end of Misunderstood... Bf is just ok. Buut Disappear is awesome.

[Mbarak]

It's just a bit too much hard work to listen to. I enjy it when I do play it but there's something that puts me off a lot of the time and it's probably the metal. And TGD takes forever to get going. The end of Misunderstood... Bf is just ok. Buut Disappear is awesome.

Wow. It's really amazing how people's tastes differ. For me, TGD's build up is just perfect and makes one of the more unique intros in DT's history, the last part of Misunderstood is what really elevates the song from a good ballad to something totally different and just insanely good, and BF is classic DT I&W-era material both musically and lyrically.

So yeah imo ADTOE is the best since 6DOIT.

[AngelBack]

I'm kind of surprised at the number of DTFers that apparently rate aDToE above SDOIT...not that I can disagree with that conclusion so far.

[bss4life15]

Probably the best since SDOIT, but i don't see it ever coming close to being better than SDOIT, but it is my 2nd favorite DT album.

[Jarzombek]

best album since ToT.

[Zoom E]

I think it's their best since SFAM.

Agreed