I don't understand the urge to get extreme reception for Opeth. Opeth, in its capacity, gets a good fair reception no matter how one spins it. The urge to blow the trumpet is never understood.
I like both eras of Opeth a lot. I think their rock music is still very good in its own right. I agree though, would have been much better received if they changed the name.
I always felt like if they just had formed a new band with a new name and played the kind of music they play today, that would have been so much more well-received. The music isn't bad, it's just not what Opeth means to most fans.