seeker

getting away from the sequencing of favorites and back to the original thought, i would have to say that, as of now, i disagree. likely it's that i'm less familiar with undertow than ænema or lateralus, but also factors are the complexity of the music and variety in sound presented in later albums. the imagery in undertow is interesting, the army and water relative ones in particular to me, but the sinister eloquence of ænema (specifically h., ænima, pushit, and 3rd eye) make it much more of an artistic feat. lateralus, i think, is even more complex musically, and some of the lyrics baffle me when i'm not paying very close attention, but the feeling is something gentler than that of its predecessors and it consequently has a somewhat lesser impact. also the lyrics are much more mature, not so much because they're "cleaner" but because they transcend the more common themes of anger evident profusely in younger musicians. i am currently delving deeper into undertow, though, so maybe given some time i'll come to see more plainly its potential for favoritism.