I think that the band started out as Neurosis clones but developed their own sound over the years, and I believe their stylistic trajectory peaked at the Oceanic/Panopticon era. They've been moving in a very linear fashion, and while Panopticon was a little less abrasive and approachable than Oceanic, it still packed a punch. ItAoT is a very good album (I think I named it in my top 10 for the year), but to me the band turned the corner and moved further into the post-rock realm rather than post-metal/post-hardcore, whatever you want to call it. I called it their most accesible album and I remember some lasher claiming that was bullshit. To me, ItAoT is one of those albums you can put on to show your non-metal friends that you're not a total fucking savage, if you're so inclined to still want to make that point. That, in and of itself, is not an inherent flaw for an album, but personally, it made the album less rewarding.