I prefer 2015 FM as well. I think Mike is trying to figure out which persona he's going to do moving forward. FM has a lot of potential for come back but I want him to continue with LP. So there's that.
What's special about this Manny? He butchered LIVING THINGS. He just got lucky with Lost because it was already mixed by the legendary Andy Wallace. I didn't even like Marroquin's mix on OML tracks.
LT and THP were supplementary releases, IMO. It's there because they had to because of contract and shit. No passion whatsoever. OML on the other side, it had the passion but lacked commitment. OML deserved to have an external producer. Different minds, different takes, different vibe. Though, we had different writers and contributors but they all sound the same.
What the band needs right now is to finish off this Meteora|20 marketing and promotion stuff. Once that's out of the way, LP can start discussing what's next for the band. This is the right time since the band is on the HYPE with Meteora and stuff. "Lost" is doing great on the chart, the HYPE is there. Once they see the numbers and sales of how well the reception of the band 5 years and a half since Chester's passing.
They are currently testing the waters right now. Shinoda's In My Head is doing great on the chart as well. The band is globally missed, so there's no point in discontinuing the band.
Once everything is set, the band can talk about choosing the producer for the band (MS and BBB need to step down as producers). THP and OML were mid as hell. Get someone who has a lot of experience when it comes to producing. Hire Brian Eno (maybe) as long they won't hire Max Martin. If they want to do folk, hire Aaron Dessner. Write as many songs as they would like. Experiment but not crazy experiment like they did during ATS era since this is about reintroduction to the world. Paramore did a great job with their self-titled album in 2013.