Too little too late. And I'm talking from the perspective of the impact those albums had. Being a teenager one identifies himself largely with his favourite bands and take things personally, i.e. worries about sales and those kind of things. Well I did.
Summer of 1992 Nevermind was huge already, Metallica was huge, , G'nR forget about it. Friends from Metal community were talking about Maiden like if they were belonging to the past already, i.e., if Afraid to shoot Strangers were released in 1983 it would be a Classic now this kind of things.
Yes FotD was a kind of return to form but paled in comparison with the impact Metallica and other above mentioned albums had. Not even remotely close.
The one album that didn't make the impact that should have make at that time was the best of them all, Rust in Peace, now considered by many the best metal album of all time and absolute jewel of 1990. Painkiller did a more immediate impact, not commercial but leaving people in awe.
Not to mention that releasing a double album right after the Black Album plus with a ballad inside felt like a rip off too.