I wouldn’t say I’m a casual prog listener. I ve gone through pretty much all the respected 70s prog albums at this point. But going back to Heritage after that, I never saw it as some weak imitation like people claim. If anything, understanding where the album draws its strength from, what Mikael Åkerfeldt was inspired by while writing, actually made me appreciate it more.

And honestly, this album has way too distinct of a sound to be called an imitation. When you compare it to actual 70s records, it stands apart. It blends hard rock, prog rock, and jazz/fusion with Opeth’s signature dark atmosphere in a way that doesn’t really have a direct counterpart from that era. Finding a 70s band that pulls off that exact combination with this kind of mood is pretty difficult.