I agree that it's a definite no.

It definitely seems to work for them financially. As they continue with this kind of practice, tours for them seem to get bigger (also, more expensive) because fans never seem to know if this is going to be the last time they would be able to see them live. This is where they're going to make the majority of their money these days, so it's quite a smart angle to take. As for the albums, I'm not sure it matters one way or another. Most would list Deja Entendu and The Devil and God Are Raging Inside Me as two of their favorite albums of all time, so, whether it hits us out of the blue or they're screaming the news from the mountaintops, there will likely be that huge demand due to the possibility for another fantastic album.