A year ago today Tomas Lindberg died, at 52, of adenoid cystic carcinoma, diagnosed in December 2023. At the Gates marked the date with a message that makes no attempt at a conclusion.
"Today marks one year since you left us," they wrote. "It still feels unfathomable, and the pain of losing you remains really immense. The world without you feels like an empty place and we are still learning how to navigate life without you. You were one of the kindest, most generous, funniest person that we got to know, and we feel incredibly fortunate to have had the opportunity to be your friend and to create music together." They also thanked the people who had written to them: "Your messages have meant more to us than we can put into words."
The Ghost of a Future Dead, the last record he sang on, came out in April and went to number one in Sweden, with an animated film of the whole album after it.
He sang in more bands than most people play in, and the reach of that showed this week from an unexpected direction: when Disfear announced the death of their drummer Marcus Andersson yesterday, the losses they counted alongside his were Henrik and Tomas.