As a fan, I'm in a weird spot with the next DT album.
I really loved both Distance Over Time and A View From the Top of the World. In my mind, they were the best Dream Theater albums since Train of Thought. I really didn't care for the last several with MP. I felt songs were bloated for the sake of being bloated. (For example, I preferred an edited version of "Rite of Passage" over the full version.)
That said, however, I very much prefer MP over MM in a live context. There was this vibe with MP that MM just didn't have on the stage. Don't think I'm saying anything negative about MM's playing. I'm not. But DT's...character changed when MP left, and it wasn't for the better, IMO.
So here we are, all these years later, and MP is now back where he belongs. I'm excited for a new DT record with him, but a also a bit apprehensive. My hope is, they go into the studio, like they did for Distance Over Time and A View From the Top of the World, write together, and importantly, self-edit as they have been.
2024 and 2025 should be pretty cool as a DT fan. 25th anniversary of Scenes, 30th for Awake (in 2024), a new record, and MP behind the kit for the band's 40th anniversary. Going to be fun.