Given some of the discussion on the last couple of pages, I will elaborate on my response.
The reason I chose the MM albums, and the reason ADTOE and DT12 rank as my overall #3 and #4 in the DT discography, is because those albums are just SO much more consistent than anything in the DT discography, and d/t seems to follow in that same vein as well even though I am not yet sure where I would rank it. There may be higher highs on some of the earlier albums. And I think it is perfectly valid to take that into consideration and rank the albums according to that. But for me, I just value the consistency more highly. I can say that on ADTOE, DT12, and d/t, there isn't a single song that I want to skip or that makes me tune out. I cannot say that for the 4 albums that preceded this run.
Here's a bit of a breakdown by album:
TOT:
-Really high highs: SOC, ITNOG. Maybe Vacant
-Really low lows: I wouldn't say there are any "really low lows" on this album. But I don't really care to listen to the other tracks besides the three I mention above. ES and TDS, for example, have some awesome moments and are "near misses" simply because they are too long and meandering, and have some parts that just seem too out of nowhere, even for DT.
-Consistency: Perhaps the closest to "consistent" of this run of albums, but still leaves me wanting in the consistency department.
Octavarium:
-Really high highs: I would put Panic Attack, Sacrificed Sons, and the title song in this category. TROAE and TW are both very good. Never Enough is pretty good too.
-Really low lows: TALW really drags the album down for me. IWBY isn't "bad," but it isn't something I can say I "enjoy" revisiting either.
-Consistency: Probably about "typical" for DT. I like most of it, but there are a couple of songs I don't connect with.
SC:
-Really high highs: Forsaken and CM for sure. ITPOE is close. And TDEN is very fun.
-Really low lows: POW, with TMOLS close behind. And while I think Reptentence is, overall, a very good song with a brilliant concept, it doesn't have much replay value for me.
-Consistency: Very inconsistent album with some songs I REALLY enjoy.
BCSL:
-Really high highs: ANTR. TSF and TCOT are really good too, even if they aren't quite on the same level. AROP isn't bad.
-Really low lows: Wither and TBOT. Not "bad" songs by any stretch, but songs I don't really connect with and don't desire to listen to.
-Consistency: Inconsistent. There are some great moments. The problem is that you have almost all really long songs, so if there are things that don't connect, it can drag a whole song, which is one of only six, down.
ADTOE:
-Really high highs: Outcry, Bridges in the Sky, Beneath the Surface
-Really low lows: None. BAI is the closest, but even that isn't bad.
-Consistency: INCREDIBLY consistent.
DT12:
-Really high highs: AFTR, BTV, Illumination Theory
-Really low lows: None.
-Consistency: INCREDIBLY consistent.
TA:
-Really high highs: Ravenskill, Chosen, A Tempting Offer, The X Aspect, Moment of Betrayal
-Really low lows: Losing Faythe. Some others as well, but I still hesitate to call them "really low lows." There really isn't a "You Not Me" on this album.
-Consistency: Hard to rank because of (1) its nature as a single, coherent piece, where all of the parts are integral to the whole. Like SFAM, the whole is generally greater than the sum of the parts. But it does feel inconsistent, mainly due to Act I being a lot stronger than Act II.
d/t:
-Really high highs: AWE, Paralyzed
-Really low lows: None.
-Consistency: INCREDIBLY consistent.