MIKAEL STANNE On TOMAS LINDBERG: “Without Him, There Would Be No Gothenburg Death Metal Scene”

In a new interview with Chile’s PowerOfMetal.cl, Dark Tranquillity and The Halo Effect frontman Mikael Stanne reflected on the recent passing of At The Gates vocalist Tomas “Tompa” Lindberg (The Crown, Grotesque, The Lurking Fear, etc.) and his role on the Gothenburg death metal scene. Or more importantly, how he was essentially the inspiration behind it all.

“More than you could explain, actually,” Stanne said when asked about Lindberg‘s impact. “I met him when I was 14. I went with a friend to their rehearsal room in the basement of Kristian Wåhlin [Necrolord]… and they were rehearsing with Grotesque that later became [At The Gates]. And it blew me away. I saw a band that played music live in a basement. And I’d never seen that before. And it was crazy, insane black metal stuff. And I was so inspired by it and kind of awestruck by it.”

From that moment, Stanne and Lindberg forged a lifelong friendship. Lindberg not only introduced Stanne to countless records through his fanzine, tape-trading, and record-collecting habits, but also instilled in him a deep seriousness about extreme music.

“More than anything, I think Tompa really inspired the scene, because he was kind of that central figure for everything that went on in Gothenburg at the time,” Stanne continued. “He was so passionate about it, and he was so into it, and he knew every band… So without him, there would be no Gothenburg death metal scene; that’s just a fact.”

Stanne emphasized how Lindberg‘s approach to lyrics and artistry raised the standard for their entire generation of musicians:

“When I discovered extreme metal through bands like Kreator and Cannibal Corpse, I loved it but didn’t know if it was serious or not. But he showed me that, no, this is serious. There are bands that take this very seriously, and there are lyrics that matter… It’s because of how he showed me what music could and should be. So, yeah, without him there would be no [Gothenburg] death metal scene. So we’re eternally grateful. And I miss him like crazy.”

Lindberg tragically passed away earlier this month at the age of 52, following a two-year battle with adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC), a rare but aggressive cancer. Diagnosed in December 2023, he underwent major surgery and radiation treatment, but traces of the cancer reappeared in early 2025. By May, his health had sharply declined, leaving him in long-term care.

“It’s been a horrible two years knowing that he was struggling and battling this disease,” Stanne added. “Everybody thought, of course, ‘Yeah, it’s gonna be fine. He’s gonna power through.’ But a couple months ago we realized that it’s worse than we thought. And now this happened. And, yeah, it’s devastating.”