In a recent interview with Luisina Reynoso of Argentina’s *Cuero Y Metal*, DARK TRANQUILLITY and THE HALO EFFECT frontman Mikael Stanne opened up about the passing of AT THE GATES vocalist Tomas “Tompa” Lindberg.
Asked about what Lindberg meant to the metal scene in Gothenburg, Sweden, Stanne shared (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET):
> “We kind of grew up in the same part of town; he was a very close neighbor to me. He was two years older and had a lot of experience. He started in the metal scene early. He had a fanzine. He had a band when he was 15. And he was just such a dedicated and passionate music fan, and it was really contagious. The way that he spoke about music and the way that he thought about music and kind of lived through music was infectious. Everybody around him kind of started to feel the same way, and he loved to spread the music that he loved.”
Stanne continued:
> “We spent a lot of time just at home in his room listening to demos, cassettes, and live tapes—things he got through his fanzine or collected from all over the world. I was a collector as well, and we bonded over that.”
He further reflected on Lindberg’s early band, GROTESQUE:
> “He had GROTESQUE, his first band, and it was this insane black metal band. I went to see them all the time. I couldn’t believe it because he was such a nice, gentle, and soft-spoken guy, but on stage, he was an absolute beast. There were pentagrams, inverted crosses, blood, skulls… it was the coolest thing in the world. I was 15 or 16 when I went to these shows, and it was incredible.”
Stanne emphasized Lindberg’s central role in the shaping of the Gothenburg metal scene:
> “Once AT THE GATES started, that inspired us a lot. But in general, he was kind of the hub we all gathered around. The metal community was small but very, very passionate.”
Describing the close-knit community, Mikael said:
> “There was a bus line that went from the suburb where we lived to the city. Tompa and I got on at the first stop; the next stop had Anders Fridén and the other guys from DARK TRANQUILLITY; two more stops had the guys from TIAMAT and Peter Iwers from IN FLAMES; two more stops had Anders and Jonas Björler from AT THE GATES; then we were in town. We would sit in a park with a tape recorder, listening to music and drinking beer. That’s how we grew up, became friends, and how the Gothenburg metal scene started to come alive.”
He added:
> “Tompa’s passion and seriousness about the music brought people together. He took it very seriously, even though it was often about random stuff—from grisly death metal like AUTOPSY to political punk. He started working at the local record store and always recommended stuff. I started working there as well, inspired by him.”
Stanne also talked about their collaborative environment:
> “We always went to their rehearsal room, and later our rooms were next to each other for years. We hung out, talked about music, and listened to whatever new songs they were working on. It was the same for all the bands in Gothenburg.”
Reflecting on Lindberg’s stage presence as a vocalist, Stanne said:
> “Even though at the time it was just black metal, he was deadly serious on stage. It was incredible to see how into it he was. That inspired me to become a vocalist as well.”
Over the past two decades, their relationship deepened beyond music:
> “We’ve just been friends—going to shows, hanging out, sharing drinks. He’s always been an incredibly important part of the Swedish metal scene because everyone knows him and he knows everyone. It’s that simple.”
Addressing Lindberg’s battle with adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC)—a rare, slow-growing but aggressive cancer typically affecting the salivary glands—Mikael reflected:
> “I’ve known he was sick for years, about a year and a half. It’s been difficult living with the knowledge that the worst might happen. We remained hopeful and positive until the end. Fortunately, all of his friends are my friends, too, so it’s been a good community to talk to and hang out with. We have a lot of gatherings planned to remember him and the good times.”
Mikael previously spoke about Tomas in a September interview with Chile’s PowerOfMetal.cl:
> “I met Tomas when I was 14. I went with a friend to their rehearsal room in the basement of Kristian Wåhlin, aka Necrolord—the cover artist for DARK TRANQUILLITY’s *The Gallery*. They were rehearsing with GROTESQUE, which later became AT THE GATES. It blew me away. I saw a band playing live in a basement like that for the first time. The black metal was insane. I was so inspired and awestruck by it.”
He continued:
> “Tomas showed me tons of music he discovered through his fanzine, tape trading, and record collecting. We became instant friends and have been close since.”
Mikael praised Lindberg’s influence on the Gothenburg scene:
> “More than anything, Tompa really inspired the scene—he was that central figure for everything going on there. He was passionate, knowledgeable about every band and event. If you needed anything, you went to him. Without him, there would be no Gothenburg death metal scene.”
He stressed Lindberg’s integrity and seriousness about the music:
> “When I first discovered extreme metal through bands like KREATOR and CANNIBAL CORPSE, I wasn’t sure if it was serious or not. But Tompa showed me that it was serious music, with meaningful lyrics, not just horror-movie stuff. Because of him, I wanted my own writing to be serious and meaningful.”
Reflecting on Tomas’s passing, Mikael said:
> “It’s been a horrible two years knowing he was battling this disease. Everyone thought he’d power through it, but a few months ago, we realized it was worse than expected. Now, this happened. It’s devastating.”
Tomas Lindberg was diagnosed in December 2023 and underwent major surgery removing a large portion of the roof of his mouth. He also received radiation treatment and initially showed signs of recovery. However, early in 2025, traces of the cancer reappeared. By May 2025, an undisclosed setback placed Tomas in long-term care.
AT THE GATES released their definitive album *Slaughter Of The Soul*—often regarded as one of the greatest metal albums of all time—on Earache Records in 1995. After touring, the band abruptly disbanded. Members went on to play major roles in other notable acts such as THE HAUNTED and CRADLE OF FILTH before reforming in 2008. Lindberg balanced his day job as a teacher with his career as a death metal frontman.
AT THE GATES’ latest studio album, *The Nightmare Of Being*, was released in 2021.
Earlier this year, Lindberg revealed that AT THE GATES recorded a new album before his mouth surgery. In a statement, he said:
> “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. So the vocals were actually recorded BEFORE the rest of the album—a bit different, but it felt good to have it done.”
Tomas “Tompa” Lindberg’s passion, dedication, and influence on the Gothenburg metal scene continue to resonate deeply within the metal community worldwide. His legacy endures through the music, memories, and friendships he fostered throughout his life.
https://blabbermouth.net/news/dark-tranquillitys-mikael-stanne-on-at-the-gates-tomas-lindberg-hes-always-been-an-incredibly-important-part-of-the-swedish-metal-scene
