I own all those and pretty much everything else up to about 2010, all the boxsets, multiple versions, etc. After a while it all started to sound alike and i realized i probably own enough that more of the same probably wouldn't bring any more enjoyment to my life and possibly some sadness to my bank account.
Keeping in mind that i like the fact that DT kept making somewhat similar albums for most of his career, you either get a 10 track album with a bunch of 4minute long songs or more commonly throughout the 90's a 4 track with tracks between 10-14mins. The best parts on any of them are when he throws in something unexpected to the DT sound, animal noises, chanting, voice samples (radio mumbling on Transfer The Object By The Spirit), but always stuck to the formula; stalking bass, rampant relentless drums and metal clang climbing towards a violent crescendo and the dark black nightmare that awaits when your helltrain finally arrives at it's station for the breakdown, only to start back up even harder than before for the final push to the end of the song.
And that's what's been missing from his music for me since about '07, momentum. There's good parts buried deep within the hour long static-fests on many of these (limited to 6 copies) boxsets but Ichiro has stopped editing his work it seems. what used to be 1 album a year of only the very best is now everything put to tape is getting released. Far too many lazy guitar tracks that all sound alike as well (when the light streams into the soul, still alive, everything on disc 5 of Ocean of Beings, etc.)
He's still a master at his craft. One of, if not my favorite artist ever, and i'll continue to buy anything he deems worthy of pressing to pro-cd.
On a side note, all that stuff Steinklang "remastered" sounds like shit. Bricked all to hell. Didn't know remastering only involved compressing the fuck out of everything so that the entire album clips. Ichiro did the same thing with the Zigoku remaster (disc 2 of Ten Realms box). Like they listened to too much NTT and SHP and thought that sounded good.
