On what would have been the 53rd birthday of their late frontman, Tomas Lindberg, the surviving members of At The Gates have launched a public fundraiser in his memory to support the fight against cancer. The iconic vocalist passed away one month ago after a courageous battle with a rare form of oral cancer.
In a moving post to their social media on Thursday, October 16, the band shared their grief and directed fans to a way they could honor their friend by contributing to the Swedish Cancer Society (Cancerfonden).
The band wrote:
“Today it would have been Tomas’ 53rd birthday. We miss you incredibly”
“For those of you who would like to send greetings or contribute to a good cause, please consider sending a donation to the official national swedish cancer fund setup in Tomas’ memory. Just follow the link below.”
The iconic vocalist passed away one month ago, on September 16, at the age of 52 from complications related to adenoid cystic carcinoma, a rare and aggressive cancer of the mouth and palate. He had been diagnosed in December 2023 but only revealed his condition publicly this past August, stating at the time that he was being “closely monitored around the clock” in a hospital.
As a co-founder of At The Gates in 1990, Lindberg was a key architect of the “Gothenburg sound” and one of the most influential vocalists in the history of extreme metal. His distinct, agonized vocal style and unique, intelligent lyrics on landmark albums like 1995’s Slaughter of the Soul became a blueprint for the melodic death metal genre. His passing prompted an outpouring of grief from the metal community, with Opeth‘s Mikael Åkerfeldt calling him a “fantastic frontman and singer” and Trivium‘s Matt Heafy labeling him “one of the most important singers/screamers of any metal band.”
The fundraiser, which is hosted on the official website of the Swedish Cancer Society, has a goal of SEK 250,000 (approx. £19,669).
