Hearing IT recently, it's so disjointed and noodly, and a shadow of their former epics. However, the orchestral section is still eargasmic.
This, exactly. The orchestral section is still powerful enough to move me to tears, but this song has not stood up well for me.
How I wish that the orchestral section was used in an epic more along the lines of an Octavarium. Something that feels more like a journey than IT. Songs like Octavarium just have an overall charm and feel that I do not get from IT at all, and the orchestral section would work so well in a song with such charm.
As for my favorite song on DT12, I have to go with Surrender To Reason. It used to be BTV, but STR has held up better for me. Not far behind after those would be TEI and TBP.
AFTR is a solid song, and would land right in the middle of my favorites on this album.
The rest of the album is far below-average for DT, in my opinion.
EM and FAS are my 2 least favorite DT instrumentals, and are probably in my top 20 least favorite DT songs. TLG would also be a top 20 least favorite DT song.
Overall, I like this album far less now than I did when it came out. As a general album, it is really good. But as a DT album, it's average to me.