It's actually a sensible thought.
I did not think VXI is bad but I thought it's one of their worst albums. I was not that enamored with BNW either although I've liked the album on release, I thought something like Chemical Wedding is miles ahead of both, and when DoD came out I was already on another train station. I was not aware of a new Maiden album and I didn't like it that much when it came out. Everyone was screaming Paschendale I think it's a good song (not that good on the album tho), nowhere near the hype.
I heard MP3s officially released at AMOLAD time and I did not get it at all. I just didn't.
Recall talking to a friend saying Maiden have gone into some direction I don't understand. And I've been already high on progressive metal train at that point. I remember saying Maiden beats, melodies, riffs, I don't get any more. The weird phrasing of the voice over a dull 'metal' riff such as Thousand Suns over an irregular drum beat. Huh
At that late 2006 the thing that got me "back" into Maiden was one of the stuff that brought me in in the first place. Somewhere In Time. After some years of listening to 'technical' music I remember being awestruck over guitar sound and Smith solos on the record. I thought to myself, well this is highly technical. Maybe not overly complex but god damn these guys can play. That got me back. And soon after, Benjamin Breeg came on random shuffle and I got hooked.
So to TLDR - reunion Maiden wasn't an insta-hit for me, at least after BNW. It took some time to click, it did after a few years. The point is, if that didn't happen, I am not sure I would be around here.
What Mosh meant is how can you not have enthusiasm about the band's new material and still hang around for decades?