I saw their tour in nowember (I think) and it was just great! As you said "Cryptic Excretions", Mikael Åkerfeldt really makes you feel comfortable when he speaks between the songs. Not the common crap-shouts like: "Are you drunk yet?!"

Another thing is that they don't have this extrem image, as many death/black bands has. They don't walk around in chainmails and put on make up so they look like corps (I'm not against make-up otherwise, it's awesome, but not in that case). They still has there feet on the ground and it feels like they are very mature, as band and as artists.

More Opeth!!!