Did anyone freak out like this when matt left the band? No. Don't get me wrong here, I love Bob but he only did one album with them, it's really NOT a huge deal. They also do not owe us an explanation. Public Relations are a difficult and touchy thing to deal with. They wouldn't keep that information from us "just cause they felt like it". I'd bet a lot of money that there were a lot of lawyers and people in on that decision and it was the right one.
As for the album, I think it's going to be epic. My Chem loves to tour, so that's what they did. Do you want them to just shit out an album as fast as they can after touring and hope its not crap? I think they are amazing for taking so much time and effort to produce an amazing disc for US, the fans. So cut them some slack. If you had a kid and a spouse would you want to spend all day every day slaving away to make a record for some inpatient kids? Probably not! Hopefully this puts things in perspective for you. Have a nice day. =]