For me, though I was shocked and saddened when the news broke that Portnoy left, overall I think it's worked out for the best. On the DT side I certainly concede that they're not as much fun as a live band now (both onstage energy and the setlists), but I think that the Mangini albums have been stronger than the last few Portnoy albums and the rest of the band just seems a little more relaxed/content. Meanwhile I have absolutely loved a lot of what MP has released separately since then (newest Transatlantic, both Flying Colors, both Winery Dogs), so the end result is a lot more great music than I probably would have gotten if everyone stayed the course.