All of the preferred and legends servers (or at least most) have their own websites that include probably anything you would want to know before starting on a server. If you click the view link next to the name of the server on the server list, you can find the website and a little info about the server:
http://www.eqemulator.org/index.php?pageid=serverlist
If you want to see some newer zones from after Titanium, you can check out Storm Haven. We just released 4 new SoD zones and 7 TBS zones and also have 5 other zones that are post-titanium. We also have plans to release the entire SoD expansion over the coming months, so you might want to check that out. I don't think many other servers are taking advantage of the post-titanium content yet.
Most of the other preferred and legends servers are worth checking out for sure. You can always start a character on a few of them and see which fits you best. Progressing on most custom servers is quick to start out, so it doesn't take long to get a feel for the server.