At the Gates frontman Tomas Lindberg dies at 52: Tributes pour in for the Swedish death metal icon

The death metal king, Tomas Lindberg, the long-time singer of the Swedish death metal band At The Gates, passed away at 52 years on Tuesday, September 16. Lindberg's family confirmed the news according to Forbes. The artist had told the world last month that he was fighting adenoid cystic carcinoma, a rare and aggressive mouth cancer, and in May shared that he was receiving treatment for a severe health complication.

Tomas Lindberg shared his cancer battle while completing At The Gates' new album

In August, At The Gates shared news about Tomas Lindberg's health. They published a message he had written back in March 2025. The update explained why the band had been so quiet for the last year. It also talked about Lindberg's health issue and what's next for him and the band. 

In his last news to the public about his health, Tomas Lindberg shared a candid note with fans earlier this year. The singer from At the Gates told everyone that late in 2023, he found out he had adenoid cystic carcinoma, an uncommon type of cancer that hits the mouth and the roof of the mouth. He said that the disease made him go through a big surgery, then months of treatment with rays. Even after all he did, doctors discovered traces of cancer that they couldn't take out with more surgery or rays. 

Lindberg further wrote that chemotherapy may be needed next to help with his illness. He also shared that the day before his surgery, he pushed through to record his vocal parts in a single day to ensure the band's upcoming album would be completed. The singer talked about the album as a work very true to the band's core. He said that they are all very proud of this. He felt it was key to put it out now, given how unsure his health was. In his words:

"... 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...  a bit different, but it felt good to have it done... 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..."

Tributes pour in!

As soon as the tragic news came out, people across the world paid their tributes. They are sharing memories, condolences, and reflections on his lasting influence in metal music. The outpouring highlights the profound mark that Lindberg made on many, with messages still coming in from all around the world.

Arch Enemy's Michael Amott shared a heartfelt note. He met a young Tomas Lindberg when he was just a teen. He was glad they met again on tour in 2019. He said Tomas is "one of the true OGs" of Sweden's death metal world.