I kinda agree with you on the keyboard element. Rudess is a great artist but when the keyboard shines in a song, it's really in a very different tone that what, maybe, Petrucci is playing which is mostly on the heavier side. That being said, it has started to grow on me and I'm less annoyed nowadays with the keyboard and rather enjoy the riffs or the percussion shenanigans (in both, Portnoy's and Mangini's era)

Totally fucking agree with LaBrie's vocals. They kinda suck, specially in live versions, but the instrumentals are equally better in live versions too. Everytime I just wish to skip LaBrie's part if I'm listening to live recordings lol