I was playing Oblivion last night, and thought I would put on something in 5.1, but I didn't want Genesis or Crimson, so I opted for a little mini concert with Systematic Chaos followed by DT12.
Maybe it was the mood I was in, maybe it was the night (it is rainy here in Connecticut), maybe it was because I was alone... but both albums just kicked my ass up, down, left, and right. I'm still not down with the growly vocals in Constant Motion, The Dark Eternal Night isn't my favorite song of all time, and generally, some of the lyrics are best ignored, but the rest was far better than I remember, and far better than some of the posters here would have you believe.
But here's the reason for the post here: I also pleasantly surprised by how DT12 hit me, and specifically The Looking Glass, The Bigger Picture, Along For The Ride, and Illumination Theory. The big surprise was IT. That just didn't connect for me for some reason, until last night. The three parts (I know it's five: I mean I/II, then III, then IV/V), the build up, the finale... it was really a strong piece of music, and for me, the idea of the interlude works. Whether I'd prefer it rearranged isn't relevant, because it's their statement, and that statement came through loud and clear. And whether it was just the contrast or what, but for whatever reason, I actually consulted the lyric book more than once just to make sure I heard what I thought I heard, and even reversed a couple passages to hear them again. I don't have them in 5.1, but I am driving this weekend, so I may revisit BC&SL and ADTOE in the same way and see if the magic strikes twice.
Really fired up to have connected with IT like that.