Man, I wish Jordan had recorded that band meeting.
I'm actually not concerned about the music. I would bet that some of the folks who have been complaining about their direction lately, and have blamed MP for it..well..we'll see just how much of that is factual.
I'm expecting something far more melodic, and I think the big winner will be James.
So musically, I'm not worried, but it's tough to imagine Dream Theater with a totally different character and culture.
Honestly, this reminds me a lot of when Adrian Smith left Iron Maiden. I remember everything about the moment I heard. He was easily my favorite member at the time. Still it's different because MP wasn't "just" the drummer. He was the face and the voice of DT. This is more than a drummer leaving a band. This is truly a new era for the band.
I'm hoping they can sustain life after MP. I don't want them one by one leaving after each album. It would appear that the band called his bluff. Good for them. I applaud that, but MP was great, a true fan's dream..
I don't see MP returning to DT, but I wouldn't discount another LTE sighting, though that's many years away, long after all of this blows over.