Tomas Lindberg is gone.
Tomas Lindberg, author unknown. Sorry
Tomas Lindberg, a Swedish musician well-known for being the frontman of At The Gates, the founding power of Gothenburg-style melodic death metal, has passed away today.
Opeth's founding member, David Isberg, broke the news of Tompa's passing. At first, I didn't feel too emotional about it because I was never a huge fan of melodic death metal or At The Gates. However, being a prolific musician and engaged in many bands over the years, Tompa reached me through different artistic endeavors.
In 2008, I heard Disfear's album "Misanthropic Generation" for the first time, and that combination of crust, hardcore, and rock'n'roll proved too infectious for me to ignore. Since then, I have always enjoyed listening.
Listening to that album today after hearing about Lindberg's passing (for those not into death metal, Tompa was Tomas Lindberg's nickname, that's why I'm using two names interchangebly), I also remembered never forgotten LG Petrov, who also, like Lindberg, succumbed to a rare form of cancer (bile duct cancer in Petrov's, tongue/pallate cancer in Lindberg's case).
LG Petrov and I backstage at Sarajevo's Sloga, back in 2013
I met LG Petrov in 2013, and we organized an Entombed AD concert in Sarajevo. That is one of the nights I won't forget as long as I live. LG was one of the funniest creatures I've met along the road as an organizer and musician.
So, turn the music on and play it loudly. Celebrate those who influenced you or made your day, be it At The Gates, Lock Up, Disfear, Skitsystem, or Entombed (AD) - banging that head should be obligatory on days like these.
Fuck cancer!
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