The Swedish outfit have dealt with criticism from some quarters as they moved away from the extreme-heavy sound of their earlier years. Akerfeldt tells The Metal Review: "They have a hard time understanding that they don't call the shots - and perhaps they don't know what's best for the band.

"On a strictly commercial level, if we wanted to avoid confrontation we'd do music we think the fans want to hear. Records like Blackwater Park and Ghost Reveries came about on those premises."

But he continues: "We don't treat this band like a money-making machine. We're not businessmen - we have a very pure kind of interest in music."