Opeth is a band many list as an influence to their music today. But who similarly influenced Akerfeldt in the formative years of Opeth? Born in 1974 and growing up during the ‘80s heavy metal boom in Sweden, the British heavy metal (Black Sabbath, Deep Purple) and German heavy metal (Scorpions) scenes “were massive here!” says Akerfeldt enthusiastically over the phone. “Everyone was into heavy metal, and of course I was too! Ever since then I had dreams of becoming a ‘rock star’”, he says the words almost sarcastically. “I didn’t really know what it meant… the word rock star, but I had heard that is what it was called.” Fast forward 25 years and Opeth are touring on the back of their 11th studio album, Pale Communion. The record channels old-school progressive rock, and although there isn’t a lot of planning for Akerfeldt when writing a record he states that “throughout the years I have been listening to lots of progressive rock, of course, which is a not so well-known secret.” Akerfeldt collects progressive rock on vinyl and has thousands of LPs in his collection. It’s been making its way slowly into his writing since he was 19. Akerfeldt is 40 years old now. “It’s been a part of our sound since the beginning; the last two records might have more emphasis on [prog-rock] than they do on extreme forms of metal.” 

"It sounds like a fucking cliché to be honest but I’m older now. I like to think a bit wiser too! I had an extreme form of tunnel vision when I was into extreme metal."

The Opeth singer is genuinely bamboozled when I ask for his favourite prog-rock record. “Shit. Oh My God! I can’t say that!” He thinks for a second…  “For now, just for now, one of the very most important records for me is the first King Crimson album.” He must have been grinning from ear to ear when he says “they are almost like Black Sabbath… but with saxophone!” Akerfeldt spoke liberally about drugs, but he is drug free and has always been drug free. Admittedly he has “smoked a little bit of weed… not because I wanted to but because I have been drunk.” Akerfeldt also muses of a time he once smoked magic mushrooms. “It wasn’t a good experience. It’s not something I want to do again.” Akerfeldt sticks to beer and wine. In Australia he’s fond of drinking Coopers. 

Consumer backlash has been a hot topic since the late progression of Opeth’s sound on Heritage and Pale Communion. Why are fans of heavy music so close-minded? “I was the same, you know,” Akerfeldt admits. “It sounds like a fucking cliché to be honest but I’m older now. I like to think a bit wiser too! I had an extreme form of tunnel vision when I was into extreme metal. It had to be a certain way or I was just not interested.” Akerfeldt believes some fans need to get a grip. Some feel as if they own Opeth. They get upset about it when there’s a departure. “Sooner or later [these people] have got to open their mind. I would rather have this uproar than for people just to shrug at our music.”