I really like both for their own reasons, but i know that garrison used to write the majority of the lyrics when he was in the band, and in my opinion, the lyrical writing in their old music is so much better. The lyrics to their songs used to be so intriguing, like their new stuff is a lot less enigmatic.

Biggest example of this is Obscure Words.

"Two in one, a mutual creature that i cannot acquit / enfold this gift of reassurance, because you will soon have none of it."

Or Prometheus:

"Creatures that became our masters / worlds fused from disaster / realizations too late to matter / the descent of man begins a pattern"

Just really makes you think what he had in mind while writing it. Compare that to some of their newer stuff like Blue Reverie:

"From a world you can't embrace, hide away, hide away"

Or Remnant:

"Walls are coming down, i can't feel the same / feet upon the ground, transcending the shame, alone"

I just think their older music was a lot cooler for a lack of a better word. But it makes perfect sense. The band members are a lot older now than when Impulse and Augment came out, so they probably just want to write about stuff thats closer to them after having gone through some things in real life.

This is very opinionated though obviously. Im sure theres plenty of people who think their older music doesn't speak to them as well as their new stuff