At the Gates’ distinctive vocalist has died at the age of 52. 

The band confirmed his passing on social media on Tuesday, September 16th, stating that despite intensive medical efforts after complications from surgery, Lindberg’s life could not be saved.

“Tomas — You were an inspiration to us all. A true friend, both compassionate & sympathetic. You will always be remembered for your generosity and your creative spirit. You will be eternally missed. Forever in our hearts,” the band wrote in their tribute.

Love Music?

Get your daily dose of metal, rock, indie, pop, and everything else in between.

Lindberg’s powerful, deafening howl became synonymous with the Gothenburg melodic death metal movement that emerged in the early 1990s — a movement that At the Gates rapidly established themselves within, particularly following the release of their 1992 debut The Red in the Sky Is Ours.

The band’s prolific early period saw them release three additional albums over the subsequent three years. Their 1994 effort Terminal Spirit Disease expanded their reach beyond Sweden’s borders, whilst 1995’s Slaughter of the Soul achieved recognition as their masterwork. The album secured the 79th position on Rolling Stone‘s list of the 100 Greatest Metal Albums.

Reflecting on the band’s ambitions during the recording of Slaughter of the Soul, Lindberg told Revolver in 2018: “We set out to make an album as good as Bonded by Blood from Exodus or Slayer’s Reign in Blood. We never expected to get even close, but thought that if this was our aim, then we might get about halfway.”

Despite achieving considerable success, At the Gates disbanded in 1996, just one year after Slaughter of the Soul‘s release. Lindberg subsequently involved himself in various projects, including grindcore supergroup Lock Up and hardcore-influenced outfits the Great Deceiver, Disfear, and Skitsystem.

At the Gates reunited for touring in 2008 and released At War With Reality in 2014. The band continued creating music, delivering To Drink From the Night Itself in 2018 and The Nightmare of Being in 2021.

Lindberg was diagnosed with adenoid cystic carcinoma, a cancer affecting the mouth and palate, in 2023, though he only revealed this publicly in August. He underwent major surgery that “took away a big part of the roof of the mouth,” followed by radiation therapy. However, additional cancer was discovered at the beginning of 2025, which proved “inaccessible by surgery or radiation.”

Before his surgery, Lindberg recorded all vocals for At the Gates’ forthcoming album in a single studio session. “So the vocals were actually recorded BEFORE the rest of the album,” he explained, describing it as “a mix between the two last albums we did with Anders (Slaughter of the Soul and At War with Reality).”