Very smart business move. They have to be aware of the mixed reaction to TA, especially with ticket sales not that great overall lately, so instead of taking time off and then doing the next album, in which some of those fans could slowly slip away from them, they are doing this, which will get a lot of those fans back into the fold right away. Very smart.
I hate to say it because I've been one of MM-Era DT's biggest supporters and ADTOE is my all time favorite DT record, but if they didn't put this Astonishing stuff to rest, they may have done irreversible damage to my fandom. I absolutely had no desire to see them. I actually left halfway through The Astonishing show I saw. I really am not that excited for any new DT material.
This announcement does have me excited though and I am not even really a fan of playing albums in their entirety. I would much rather have a badass setlist of varieties but hey, I&W is a great album (not their best) but it is definitely worth another three hour trip and 70 dollar ticket.
As far LaBrie's performance...Anothery Day on the Happy Holidays album only had a line or two where he altered the melody and I'll be damned if that isn't my favorite performance of that song. We'll see but hey, at least they caught my interest again.