At the Gates Vocalist Tomas Lindberg Dies at 52
Tomas Lindberg, the influential vocalist for Swedish death metal band At the gates, has died. He was 52 years old. the news was confirmed by Loudwire on may 16, 2024, though a cause of death has not been publicly released. Lindberg’s passing marks a notable loss for the extreme metal community, impacting generations of musicians and fans inspired by his pioneering work.
Lindberg was a central figure in the Gothenburg metal scene,credited with helping to define the melodic death metal subgenre. Forming At the Gates in 1989, he propelled the band to international recognition with albums like The Red in the Sky Is Ours (1993) and Slaughter of the Soul (1995). Though the band initially disbanded in 1996, they reformed in 2002 and continued to tour and record, releasing their most recent album, The Nightmare of Being, in 2021. Beyond At the Gates, Lindberg was involved in numerous other projects, including Disfear, Skitargn, and Bastard.
In a recent interview, Lindberg reflected on his career shift, noting he had begun teaching ninth grade after years of performing for “more adult kids.” He described the work as challenging, acknowledging the exhaustion but emphasizing the daily rewards.
Fellow musicians have begun to express their grief and admiration. Arch Enemy guitarist Michael Amott, who first met Lindberg at age 18, remembered reconnecting with him during a 2019 tour, calling him “one of the true OGs of the Swedish death metal scene.” Municipal Waste frontman Tony Foresta credited At the Gates as his ”gateway drug into death metal,” praising Lindberg’s authenticity and immeasurable impact. Opeth founder David Isberg also shared a tribute, quoting lyrics from At the Gates’ 1991 demo Gardens of Grief.
Lindberg is survived by his family. Loudwire extends condolences to his loved ones,bandmates,and the wider metal community.