The interview you posted also hammers home the biggest issue people have with RSO. When they say he left Bon Jovi to do harder rock stuff, you are right he never said that. But he DID insinuate he isn't able to do longer guitar solos in the band and guitar based music is lacking in current records. So for him to leave the band less than a year after that and then eventually put something out that isn't guitar based at all it's strange.

What they're doing sounds "of the times" in a multitude of genres and I wonder if they're trying to find a sound that sticks and going in that direction when something clicks.