Opeth’s Mikael Åkerfeldt Says “Progressive” Music No Longer Means What It Used To

Opeth’s Mikael Åkerfeldt says modern progressive rock and metal has become predictable and the label no longer matters to him.

Opeth frontman Mikael Åkerfeldt says progressive rock and metal’s original intent has been diluted to the point where the word “progressive” barely holds any real meaning.

Speaking in a recent interview with Prog Project, Åkerfeldt reflected on how the genre has shifted over time and why he has grown increasingly disconnected from the label. “I’m not sure if it’s so important for me to feel that we are progressive, because I don’t really know what it means anymore,” he said.

For Åkerfeldt, progressive music used to be easy to recognise because it came from a place of curiosity rather than technique for technique’s sake. Bands stood out by combining styles and taking creative chances, not by following a set of unspoken rules. “Back in the day, I think that it was easier to define a progressive band because they were mixing styles and stuff like that,” he explained. “But now progressive means fast guitar solos, and it’s become a sound and maybe not so progressive.”

That shift has left him feeling that the genre is moving in the opposite direction of what it originally set out to do. “I think progressive music, especially in rock and metal, has become a bit regressive,” the Opeth frontman said, pointing to how rigid expectations have replaced experimentation.

Because of this, he no longer worries about whether Opeth is viewed as a progressive band at all. “I don’t know if I can decide if we are progressive or not. I think it’s up to the audience to decide,” he said. “But for me, it’s become less and less important to be labelled progressive because I don’t know what it means anymore.”

That mindset carries over into his songwriting process. When asked if he consciously tries to write “progressive” music, his answer was direct. “No,” he said. “I don’t wanna repeat myself.”

Åkerfeldt acknowledged that some listeners want Opeth to return to the sound they explored in the early 2000s, but that kind of nostalgia does not motivate him creatively. “Many of our fans want us to maybe repeat what we did in the early 2000s, but I’m not really interested in that,” he said. “I like for us to progress, but not necessarily just so we fit into the progressive rock/metal genre.”

Instead, his focus is on personal growth and emotional honesty, guided by a wide range of influences rather than genre labels. “When I write music, it’s easy to make progress for our own [Opeth’s] music,” Åkerfeldt said. “I have so many different kinds of influences, and I’m very passionate about my music. At the end of the day, I just wanna write emotional music.”