I havent really had a chance to hear the new album but the first thing that registered were the use of the harsh vocals. (Note, havent heard in cauda much).

This Sputnik Review which contained the following:

• He (Åkerfeldt) talks about it cynically in interviews, saying that it feels like the growls are all anybody ever cared about in the band’s music. And it seems like this is a little bit true, at least for some fans; for a lot of people, the first reaction to hearing “Paragraph 1” was to proclaim that Opeth is “finally back,.*

I dont know what reviews were referenced, but if true, just curious as to whether prog listeners agree that it was always about the growls… Lets face it metal fans can be heavily OTT with change.