At The Gates vocalist Tomas Lindberg dies aged 52 following cancer battle

At The Gates vocalist Tomas Lindberg has died aged 52.

The singer’s death was announced earlier today (September 16) by David Isberg, former vocalist of fellow Swedish death metal band Opeth, and has been confirmed by Arch Enemy guitarist Michael Amott. Arch Enemy drummer Daniel Erlandsson is the brother of At The Gates drummer Adrian Erlandsson.

The news follows At The Gates’ revelation in August that Lindberg was “being closely monitored around the clock” after setbacks in his battle with adenoid cystic carcinoma, a cancer of the mouth and pallet.

Linberg was diagnosed with cancer in December 2023, but kept his condition quiet until last month. In a statement that the singer wrote in March but didn’t publish until August 15, he admitted, “It has been a very tough year,” and said that he may have to undergo “some form of chemotherapy to keep the cancer in check”.

Lindberg was a founding member of At The Gates, who formed in 1990 after the dissolution of Lindberg and guitarist Alf Svensson’s death metal band Grotesque. They released their debut EP, Gardens Of Grief, in 1991 and debut album, The Red In The Sky Is Ours, in 1992. Their early material was noted for its complexity, while Lindberg’s lyrics were existential and poetic compared to other extreme metal vocalists’. Though the band started to transition towards more immediate songwriting on 1993’s With Fear I Kiss The Burning Darkness, Lindberg’s words remained introspective and nuanced.

In 1993, Svensson was replaced by guitarist Martin Larsson, chosen due to his past work in thrash metal band The House Of Usher, as At The Gates composers Jonas (bass) and Anders Björler (guitars) wanted to pursue an even more direct sound. This ‘classic’ lineup’s first release was 1994 mini-album Terminal Spirit Disease, followed by 1995’s full-length Slaughter Of The Soul.

Slaughter…, released via UK label Earache, marked At The Gates’ international breakthrough, with critics lauding its genre hybridity and intensity, as well as Lindberg’s unique, agonised-sounding voice. The album became a key inspiration on the New Wave Of American Heavy Metal, with some of its biggest stars – such as Killswitch Engage, Trivium and Shadows Fall – acknowledging its impact. However, At The Gates split up in 1996 due to the departure of Anders, who was fatigued by the heavy metal touring lifestyle.

Following At The Gates’ dissolution, Lindberg joined multiple bands and supergroups, including Disfear, Skitsystem and Lock Up. At The Gates reformed in 2007 and released three further albums: At War With Reality (2014), To Drink From The Night Itself (2018) and The Nightmare Of Being (2021). Lindberg recorded vocals for a fourth post-reunion album before he died.

Outside of music, Lindberg was a social studies teacher to English-speaking students. When asked by Cryptic Rock in 2014 whether his students were aware of his musical success, the singer said: “They are not into heavy metal music but they are aware of what I do. They see the Facebook likes and the YouTube hits. My students are actually about 80 percent Muslim immigrants and they are not into the music, but they think it is cool.”

Lindberg spoke little about his private life during interviews, but said in 2010 that he had a son and a then-teenage daughter.