AT THE GATES’ TOMAS LINDBERG Dead At 52

Tomas Lindberg, the influential voice of Swedish melodic death metal pioneers At The Gates, has died following a battle with adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC). He was 52. His family confirmed the news to Swedish public broadcaster SVT Nyheter.

Lindberg was diagnosed with the rare and aggressive cancer in December 2023, which led to major surgery to remove part of the roof of his mouth, followed by two months of radiation. Initially on a slow path to recovery, traces of the cancer returned in early 2025. By May of that year, complications placed him in long-term care, and his bandmates later revealed he was receiving “around-the-clock” treatment.

In a heartfelt statement written in March 2025 and shared publicly that August, Lindberg reflected on his struggle and the uncertainty surrounding his future: “It has been a very tough year. First there was a major surgery, where they took away a big part of the roof of the mouth. This was followed by radiation therapy for two months, and ever since it has been a long hard path towards recovery. Now, in the beginning of 2025, they have found some remains of the cancer, and it is inaccessible by surgery or radiation. So, we will see what the next step is, but probably some form of chemotherapy, to keep the cancer in check.”

Despite his illness, Lindberg ensured that the new At The Gates album would be completed. In his message, he revealed that he recorded his vocals the day before his surgery: “Luckily, we recorded vocals for the demos for the new album before all of this happened. The last version of the vocals, the ones that will end up on the album, were recorded in ONE day, mostly one takes, the DAY before the surgery, just to make sure we HAD the album, so to speak.”

He described the record as a proud return to roots: “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 Slaughter of the Soul and At War With Reality.”

In his March message, Lindberg left fans with words that now read like a poignant farewell: “Take care of yourself, your loved ones and the time you have on this earth.”

At The Gates had been preparing to release their new album despite Lindberg’s health struggles, ensuring his final recordings will be heard by the fans he so passionately addressed.