I didn't take me long at all. There was a six month period after AEnima came out that I could listen to nothing else. I still think Eulogy is as near to perfect as a composition can get. I still get a chill whenever I hear, "He had a lot to say, he had a lot of nothing to say, we'll miss him." Damn, just so brilliant. I love that this album spans the gap between their more conventional heavy rock sound and the full on acid rock of Lateralus and 10,000 days. I would also love to know what the catalyst was for the over use of profanity on this album. It doesn't seem to be a priority in the lyrics of other albums, but AEnima is stuffed to the gills.
I really like Lateralus. It's a weird mix of ambition and self-deprecation--I guess that could probably be said about anything Keenan is involved with--but this album is perhaps a bit too unsure of itself. Not near as accessible as their previous offerings, for sure. Still, a lot to love here, the run of songs from Schism through Lateralus is absolutely hypnotizing and essential prog in my view.