Just revisited D/T after a little while. Happy to report I still enjoy it very much.
Not reinventing the wheel, obviously, but it does sound like there was a bit more fun/spontaneity in the writing and performances. Fall into the Light, Barstool Warrior, S2N and At Wit's End are really strong songs (the latter two fighting for my favorite's spot on the album). Paralyzed is a good, single-like catchy tune (in my opinion better than, say, Forsaken - to mention something in a similar vein), and I particularly like Jordan's work in the chorus. Untethered Angel is a very good opener (and its guitar-keys harmonized run is kinda refreshing) and Out of Reach is a pleasant ballad.
Not too crazy about Room 137 - it's an interesting experiment between the grooviness and the Beatlesque vocal effects, but I'm not 100% sold...and Pale Blue Dot, while instrumentally impressive, didn't quite stick with me.
All in all, I'd currently place it second in my personal MM's era album ranking:
DT12
Distance over Time
A Dramatic Turn of Events
The Astonishing
...although the ranking does sometimes switch with ADTOE. Also note I actually enjoy The Astonishing...I just find I don't go back to it quite as often.