Going off some of the recent posts - the change from MP to MM was mostly positive for me as well. However, I didn't have that much of a problem with MP when he was in the band. I didn't like his singing at all and wished that he wouldn't do it, but tried to grin and bear it, so to speak. Unlike Skeever, I really liked what they were doing musically; even SC, which is one of my least favorites, is a really good album in my opinion and I would have liked it more without MP's vocals and some of JP's lyrics. I also thought MP was a little bit overbearing at times, and didn't appreciate some of the things he said about JL in the biography, but for the most part I thought he was essential to the band and as he was always cool to me in person, I liked him and defended him. When he left, I was very upset, to put it mildly. Not mad at him for leaving, not mad at the band for not waiting, just upset that he would no longer be part of the band and concerned that a lot of the things he did would fall by the wayside. As time went on after the split, I didn't care for the way he conducted himself, but chalked it up to him perhaps feeling that he'd made a mistake and was suffering for it, so I had compassion.
When ADTOE came out, I absolutely loved it and that was when I started feeling better about the split. I'd heard reports that the band seemed happier on stage, and when I saw them, I didn't really want to believe it, but after the 2nd show on that tour, I agreed that JP seemed a little and JL was a little more - maybe happy, upbeat, relaxed, something. MM wasn't MP behind the kit, but he brings his own personality to it and I think he's every bit as exciting to watch as MP was; it's just different. Both subsequent releases and tour solidified all of that for me, and so while I won't say that MP was "holding them back" as others have said, I do think he was pushing too hard and it resulted sometimes in an unnatural kind of heaviness (and imo of course, poor poor vocals from him). Whereas now, when they go heavy, it feels right.
It seems everything worked out for the best, and I'm happy with the split and hope MM stays with the band until they decide to hang it up.