Tomas Lindberg, a vocalist for the Swedish metal band At The Gates, has died after a nearly two-year cancer battle, the band announced on Sept. 16. He was 52.

"Tomas passed away this morning following complications related to his ongoing cancer treatment. Despite intensive medical efforts, his life could not be saved," the band said in a statement on social media.

The band's statement called Lindberg "an inspiration to us all" and said the musician will "always be remembered for (his) generosity and (his) creative spirit."

At The Gates is a Swedish metal band known for its 1990s albums, including "Terminal Spirit Disease" and "Slaughter of the Soul." The band split in 1995, following the release of 'Slaughter of the Soul", before reuniting in 2007. They've since released three more albums.

USA TODAY reached out to At The Gates' reps on Tuesday, Sept. 16, but has not received a response.

Tomas Lindberg was being treated for cancer before his death

In a statement shared on At The Gates' social media pages on Aug. 15, Lindberg announced that he was diagnosed with adenoid cystic carcinoma, a type of mouth cancer, in December 2023.

Lindberg said he had undergone treatment, including surgery to remove a portion of the roof of his mouth, followed by radiation therapy.

Earlier this year, doctors found remains of the cancer that were not treatable with surgery or radiation, he said.

"It has been a very tough year," Lindberg's statement said in part.

Lindberg added that At The Gates didn't "want to make a big thing about all this" and wouldn't be answering further questions about his diagnosis.

"We just wanted this to be out in the open, as we wanted to explain to our fans why we have been quiet for such a long time," he said.

At The Gates recorded new album before Tomas Lindberg's death

In the Aug. 15 statement, Lindberg also revealed that At The Gates recorded their new album before he underwent mouth surgery.

"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," the statement said. "So the vocals were actually recorded BEFORE the rest of the album.... a bit different, but it felt good to have it done."

Lindberg's statement, which was dated in March, said he and the band would "not wait any longer" to release the new album. It has not been released as of Sept. 16.

"Now when everything about the future is a bit more unsure it feels good to deliver this album," he said. "It is an album that we all are very proud of."

Fans remember Tomas Lindberg as 'the most inspiring death metal vocalist'

After news of Lindberg's death broke, tributes quickly poured into At The Gates' comment section on social media.

"Rest in peace. Probably the most inspiring death metal vocalist there was," one Facebook user said.

"The energy and soul you put on those At The Gates records will forever be ingrained in my heart. You and your band were sucha integral part to my musical journey," another person wrote.

One user said, "His voice will live on forever, immortalized in the beautiful music you guys made."

Melina Khan is a national trending reporter for USA TODAY. She can be reached at melina.khan@usatoday.com.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: At The Gates vocalist Tomas Lindberg dies at 52 after cancer battle

Reporting by Melina Khan, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

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