A number of other factors affected the change in sound beyond the change in record label. Many were key personnel changes and relationships. Most prominently was frontman Steven Wilson's rediscovering of heavy metal music through his fascination with Burzum and the book "Lords of Chaos", which led him to listen to many extreme metal bands and finally the Swedish acts Meshuggah and Opeth whom he described as "the holy grail" of this new scene (both groups were thanked on "In Absentia's" sleeve notes). Furthermore, Wilson would end up meeting Mikael Åkerfeldt from Opeth, which occurred when the two were separately interviewed by an interviewer who had interviewed both of them. Impressed with their music, Wilson eventually agreed to produce the next Opeth album, "Blackwater Park", which inspired Wilson to move Porcupine Tree in a more metal direction as well.