Probably 8VM, ACOS and SDOIT are among the best ranked DT songs out there because their musical quality is indeed overwhelming. But, ever since Train of Thought some of DT's long songs have suffered of formula and cyclic writing. That's the reason I don't enjoy ITPOE as much as the other epics, I think part 1 is fantastic and the best thing that exists in Systematic Chaos (that's not a big accomplishment), but part 2 drags a hell lot. I really like the idea of DT toning their song lengths down a bit because it makes them make super strong songs that fit in short periods of time, which is something I miss from the Awake/FII days. On the other hand, the existence of a 20+ minute epic on the record is a way of saying "don't worry, we're not going anywhere. We know you like songs long and epic, so here you have".
This is the most pumped I've been for a DT release ever since Systematic Chaos. The only difference is that I don't think this is going to let me down.