I think Octavarium is such a gorgeous sounding album.
This record was my first true introduction to the band. As I started going down the DT rabbit-hole, I was initially surprised that it seemed to be considered a bit of a disappointment at the time. As I worked my way through their discography I began to understand the criticism as compared to their previous efforts.
That being said, I still find myself coming back to it not sheerly for nostalgia's sake, but also because I think it sounds so fucking good. There's so much more blasé filler-quality writing on this album than, say, most of what came before it and (IMO) the last two albums, but the vibe/mix/orchestration does so much more to compensate for the weaker elements of this album than on anything after.
Again, maybe I was able to listen to it with a more open mind without any pre-conceptions than the few that followed, but this damn this one goes down smooth.