Akerfeldt tells Music Business Facts: "It's so hard being a creative person. You put out a product, and people throw the 'sellout' thing at you because you depend on some kind of income.

"It's like, 'You're lucky to be in this position. You shouldn't complain. Get a real job, just like the rest of us.' Which is fair enough - but I think people underestimate how much they need music. Once it's gone…"

He adds: "It's really difficult for bands starting out today to get their names out there. I think the filter that was provided by a record label back in the day was ultimately good."

Akerfeldt argues that bands like Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple and Kiss had to go through a process where they were compared against competing artists, meaning they knew what they had to deliver if they wanted success.

"Bands today start their own YouTube channel and put out their own record. But they're fighting," he says.