Mikael Åkerfeldt, the vocalist and guitarist of Swedish progressive metal veterans Opeth, has drawn attention with a pointed critique of how the term progressive is used in rock and metal circles today. In a recent interview, he suggested that the label no longer carries real artistic weight and has been diluted to the point of meaninglessness.
In conversation with Metal Hammer, Åkerfeldt argued that many contemporary bands wear the “progressive” tag as a badge of complexity rather than creativity. According to him, bands often attach the label to their music simply because they use unconventional time signatures or technical flourishes — but those elements alone do not make music genuinely progressive in spirit.
“You can’t call yourself ‘progressive’ just because you play in odd times or throw in a few technical tricks,” Åkerfeldt said. “If it doesn’t say anything new, if it doesn’t push a boundary of expression, then what’s progressive about it?”
He went on to clarify that his critique wasn’t aimed at any specific band or scene, but rather at a cultural tendency within rock and metal to latch onto buzzwords as a shortcut for artistic identity. For Åkerfeldt, the danger lies in counting complexity as progress — when progress, in his view, should be about artistic evolution, expression, and emotional resonance, not just musical gymnastics.
Åkerfeldt’s own career with Opeth has spanned decades and crossed multiple stylistic borders, from death metal roots to jazz and folk explorations. That breadth, he implied, is what true progression feels like: a willingness to transform one’s musical language over time rather than merely assembling increasingly elaborate technical passages.
In the interview, he also noted how some bands label themselves progressive from the outset, seemingly as a marketing move rather than a description of their creative intent. “When terms become marketing tools, they lose meaning,” he said. “And then you end up with a situation where everyone’s progressive and no one really is.”
Åkerfeldt’s comments have sparked discussion among fans and musicians online, with responses ranging from agreement — that “progressive” should be a descriptor of genuine innovation — to pushback from listeners who feel the term still has utility.
Regardless of where one stands, his remarks highlight an ongoing conversation within rock and metal about how genres are defined, who gets to define them, and whether existing labels still help fans understand the music they love.
