At The Gates Frontman Tomas Lindberg Dead at 52

About a month after it was revealed that At The Gates‘ frontman Tomas Lindberg was battling cancer, his family confirmted to Swedish public service television company SVT Nyheter this morning that he passed away. He was 52 years old.

Lindberg was diagnosed with adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC), which the Cleveland Clinic describes as a “rare type of cancer that affects your glandular tissues [that] commonly forms in your salivary glands,” back in December 2023. You may recall that the band unexpectedly axed all of their spring and summer shows the following month — that was why.

According to those close to him, Lindberg initially had a large portion of the roof of his mouth removed early on in his treatment and had also undergone chemotherapy following his diagnosis. Despite those efforts, doctors found that the cancer had returned earlier this year. Following a major “setback” that occurred this past May, it was then that At The Gates revealed Lindberg’s condition to the world and let fans know he was receiving “around-the-clock” care.

Ever the professional, Lindberg told fans at the time that the vocals for the forthcoming At The Gates album had been recorded before his diagnosis, with the final takes being recorded the day before his surgery.

“We have now decided to not wait any longer to release this new album. We had first planned to wait with the release until we knew if/when I would be able to sing again, and we were able to support the release with shows. Now when everything about the future is a bit more unsure it feels good to deliver this album.

“It is an album that we all are very proud of, and it’s the first time in 10 years that Jonas and I have worked together with Anders writing an album’s worth of music. It is a bit more of a return to the ‘roots’, probably best described as a mix between the two last albums we did with Anders (Slaughter Of The Soul and At War With Reality). Hope you all will enjoy it!”

As a founding member of At The Gates, Lindberg was well regarded in the metal world as a leading voice in the Swedish melodic death metal scene. He was also a member of some beloved projects like The Crown, Disfear, and The Great Deceiver. In his final statement, he told his fans the following:

“Take care of yourself, your loved ones and the time you have on this earth.”