Just be sure to read that full post - he's not leaving the band, he just won't be touring with them for a while. Not that he won't be missed on tour by all of the fans, but his presence will still be in the music itself.
EDIT ::
It could also be noted that some countries' iTunes Store will have the SDS EP available for purchase in about 2 weeks (December 16, according to the German iTunes Store - pre-orders are available now).