I’ve had a couple days to sit with the news, and I’ve come to think that this is what the boys in the band always wanted. In the audition documentary it was stated that MP leaving, having to find a new drummer, was not what anyone wanted. MM states that he wasn’t what MP was in the band, admitting that he didn’t think he ever could be.
It’s also been said the MP just wanted a hiatus, which indicates that he always intended to come back. So, to me this says that MM was the replacement for as long as MP needed to sew his wild oats. And while I think almost 14 years is a bit too long away, MP was always in contact with the band. They were always family to him. I think in his heart — and the band’s — this was always what they wanted.
I feel bad for MM because of course he wouldn’t want to leave his biggest band, but the timing of his releasing his solo album tells me that MP returning has been known to him for some time at least. I’m sad to see him go, but it’s obvious that it wasn’t a complete surprise to him.