An old friend said the problem Bruckner had with most folks was the complete lack of sex in his music. I always thought the strength of his music was his Christian zeal (not that I am advocating that) and the way inside for some might be thinking of the symphonies as orchestrations of giant organ solos.
I love lots of Bruckner, but it takes time to meld into his world. Unfortunately for Bev, historical conductors provide the best entry points.
If you are looking for a "way in" get the DG cd of Bruckner 4 conducted by Jochum. If that doesn't convince you, smoke some weed and play it again. :-)