Tomas Lindberg (born 16 October 1972), also known as "Tompa" and "Goatspell", is a Swedish vocalist who has fronted many
death metal
Death metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music. It typically employs heavily distorted and low-tuned guitars, played with techniques such as palm muting and tremolo picking; deep growling vocals; aggressive, powerful drumming, feat ...
bands, most notably
At the Gates
At the Gates is a Swedish death metal band from Gothenburg, formed in 1990. The band was a major progenitor of Gothenburg-style melodic death metal alongside In Flames and Dark Tranquillity. Prior to their first disbandment in 1996, At the Gat ...
. He has been active as a musician and composer since the late 1980s. He also teaches
social studies.
Lindberg was ranked number 30 out of 50 of The Greatest Metal Frontmen of All Time by
Roadrunner Records
Roadrunner Records is an American record label focused on heavy metal and hard rock bands. Founded in the Netherlands in 1980, it is now a division of Warner Music Group and is based in New York City.
History
The label was launched in 1980 in t ...
.
Career
He started as a vocalist in the band
Grotesque
Since at least the 18th century (in French and German as well as English), grotesque has come to be used as a general adjective for the strange, mysterious, magnificent, fantastic, hideous, ugly, incongruous, unpleasant, or disgusting, and thus ...
under the name Goatspell. When Grotesque fell apart he started
melodic death metal
Melodic death metal (also referred to as melodeath) is a subgenre of death metal that employs highly melodic guitar riffs, often borrowing from traditional heavy metal (including New Wave of British Heavy Metal). The genre features the heavine ...
band
At the Gates
At the Gates is a Swedish death metal band from Gothenburg, formed in 1990. The band was a major progenitor of Gothenburg-style melodic death metal alongside In Flames and Dark Tranquillity. Prior to their first disbandment in 1996, At the Gat ...
. At the Gates broke up after the 1995 release of the highly acclaimed ''
Slaughter of the Soul
''Slaughter of the Soul'' is the fourth studio album by Swedish melodic death metal band At the Gates, released on November 14, 1995. It was their last album before their eleven-year breakup from 1996 to 2007. ''Slaughter of the Soul'' is conside ...
'' album, but reformed in 2007. In 1995 Lindberg provided vocals for three tracks on
Ceremonial Oath
Ceremonial Oath is a Swedish death metal band who formed in 1989 under the name "Desecrator", changed their name to Ceremonial Oath in 1991 and disbanded in 1996. During their short career they released three demos, one EP and two albums. Their ...
's "
Carpet
A carpet is a textile floor covering typically consisting of an upper layer of pile attached to a backing. The pile was traditionally made from wool, but since the 20th century synthetic fibers such as polypropylene, nylon, or polyester hav ...
" while
Anders Fridén
Pär Anders Fridén (born 25 March 1973) is a Swedish vocalist, best known as the lead singer of heavy metal band In Flames. He was also the vocalist of Dark Tranquillity and Passenger, a side project.
Career
Early career
Fridén was original ...
(
In Flames
In Flames is a Swedish heavy metal band, formed by guitarist Jesper Strömblad in Gothenburg in 1990. Alongside At the Gates and Dark Tranquillity, In Flames pioneered the genres known as Swedish death metal and melodic death metal.
During t ...
) provided vocals for the other four tracks.
Since then, Lindberg has been involved in many other diverse musical projects within the metal and punk scene. He has fronted
Hide,
The Crown
The Crown is the state in all its aspects within the jurisprudence of the Commonwealth realms and their subdivisions (such as the Crown Dependencies, overseas territories, provinces, or states). Legally ill-defined, the term has different ...
,
Disfear
Disfear is a Swedish crust punk band that formed in the early 1990s and recorded sporadically over the years. After releasing the albums ''Soul Scars'' in 1995 and '' Everyday Slaughter'' in 1997, the group did not release another album until 20 ...
,
Skitsystem
Skitsystem (; "Fucking System" or "Fucking Society", literally "Shit System") is a Swedish crust punk band formed in early 1994. Their sound was heavily influenced by death metal and D-beat. The band members originally came from different death ...
and the
grindcore supergroup
Lock Up, in which he performed alongside
Napalm Death members
Shane Embury
Shane Embury (born 27 November 1967) is a British bassist and a member of the grindcore and death metal band Napalm Death since 1987.
Career Napalm Death
While not a founding member, Embury is the longest standing member of the band, ha ...
(bass) and
Jesse Pintado
Jesus "Jesse" Ernesto Pintado Andrade (July 12, 1969 – August 27, 2006) was a Mexican-American guitarist best known as the lead guitarist for the British grindcore band Napalm Death. He started in the grindcore band Terrorizer where he reco ...
(guitar) and former
Dimmu Borgir
Dimmu Borgir () is a Norwegian symphonic black metal band from Jessheim, formed in 1993. The name is derived from Dimmuborgir, a volcanic formation in Iceland, the name of which means "dark cities" or "dark castles/fortresses" in Icelandic, ...
drummer,
Nicholas Barker
Nicholas Howard Barker (born 1973) is an English extreme metal drummer best known as for his work in Cradle of Filth and Dimmu Borgir. Currently he is the drummer for Brujeria and Shining.
Biography
Barker was born on 25 April 1973. He join ...
. He also did vocals for the Gothenburg-based Sacrilege GBG on their 1996 European tour due to the difficulty for drummer/vocalist
Daniel Svensson
Daniel Svensson (born 20 November 1977) is a Swedish drummer. He is currently a member of the Swedish supergroup The Halo Effect (2021–) and formerly a drummer of the metal bands In Flames, Sacrilege GBG (also the vocalist) and Diabolique. ...
(
In Flames
In Flames is a Swedish heavy metal band, formed by guitarist Jesper Strömblad in Gothenburg in 1990. Alongside At the Gates and Dark Tranquillity, In Flames pioneered the genres known as Swedish death metal and melodic death metal.
During t ...
) to do both.
He is earning praise for his Gothenburg-based outfit,
The Great Deceiver, far removed from his previous work – a product of the
Gothenburg
Gothenburg (; abbreviated Gbg; sv, Göteborg ) is the second-largest city in Sweden, fifth-largest in the Nordic countries, and capital of the Västra Götaland County. It is situated by the Kattegat, on the west coast of Sweden, and has ...
melodic death metal
Melodic death metal (also referred to as melodeath) is a subgenre of death metal that employs highly melodic guitar riffs, often borrowing from traditional heavy metal (including New Wave of British Heavy Metal). The genre features the heavine ...
scene mixed with influences from artists such as
The Cure
The Cure are an English Rock music, rock band formed in 1978 in Crawley, Crawley, West Sussex. Throughout numerous lineup changes since the band's formation, guitarist, lead vocalist, and songwriter Robert Smith (musician), Robert Smith has re ...
and
Joy Division
Joy Division were an English rock band formed in Salford in 1976. The group consisted of vocalist Ian Curtis, guitarist/keyboardist Bernard Sumner, bassist Peter Hook and drummer Stephen Morris.
Sumner and Hook formed the band after attend ...
.
More recently he has worked with the band
Nightrage
Nightrage is a Greek/Swedish melodic death metal band originally from Thessaloniki. They later re-located to Gothenburg, Sweden.
History Formation and ''Sweet Vengeance'' (2000–2003)
Nightrage was founded by Marios Iliopoulos and his c ...
, but shortly after their second album
Descent into Chaos was released in 2005, Lindberg left the band so that a more full-time vocalist (
Antony Hämäläinen
Antony Hämäläinen (born August 28, 1980) is a Finnish metal vocalist living in the United States.
Biography
In the early 1990s, he started playing bass, drums, and singing for multiple bands based both in the US and Finland.
September 2007, ...
) could accompany them on tours and studio albums. Lindberg occasionally provides guest vocals as seen on
Darkest Hour's "The Sadist Nation", Transistor Transistor's "Young Vampires of New Hampshire" 7", and on
Slowmotion Apocalypse's, "The Blessing" on the 2007 '
Obsidian
Obsidian () is a naturally occurring volcanic glass formed when lava extrusive rock, extruded from a volcano cools rapidly with minimal crystal growth. It is an igneous rock.
Obsidian is produced from felsic lava, rich in the lighter elements s ...
' album.
Decibel Magazine credits the logo of black metal band
Darkthrone
Darkthrone is a Norwegian extreme metal band from Kolbotn, Akershus. Formed in 1986 as a death metal band named Black Death, in 1991 Darkthrone embraced a black metal style influenced by Bathory and Celtic Frost and became one of the leadin ...
as the work of Lindberg.
Discography
![Tomas-Lindberg-Gods-of-Metal](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/32/Tomas-Lindberg-Gods-of-Metal.jpg)
*
Grotesque
Since at least the 18th century (in French and German as well as English), grotesque has come to be used as a general adjective for the strange, mysterious, magnificent, fantastic, hideous, ugly, incongruous, unpleasant, or disgusting, and thus ...
– ''
In the Embrace of Evil'' (1989)
*
At the Gates
At the Gates is a Swedish death metal band from Gothenburg, formed in 1990. The band was a major progenitor of Gothenburg-style melodic death metal alongside In Flames and Dark Tranquillity. Prior to their first disbandment in 1996, At the Gat ...
– ''
Gardens of Grief
At the Gates is a Swedish death metal band from Gothenburg, formed in 1990. The band was a major progenitor of Gothenburg-style melodic death metal alongside In Flames and Dark Tranquillity. Prior to their first disbandment in 1996, At the ...
'' (1991)
* At the Gates – ''
The Red in the Sky Is Ours'' (1992)
* At the Gates – ''
With Fear I Kiss the Burning Darkness'' (1993)
* At the Gates – ''
Terminal Spirit Disease'' (1994)
* At the Gates – ''
Slaughter of the Soul
''Slaughter of the Soul'' is the fourth studio album by Swedish melodic death metal band At the Gates, released on November 14, 1995. It was their last album before their eleven-year breakup from 1996 to 2007. ''Slaughter of the Soul'' is conside ...
'' (1995)
* At the Gates – ''
At War with Reality
''At War with Reality'' is the fifth studio album and major label debut by Swedish melodic death metal band At the Gates, released on 28 October 2014. It is the band's first album since '' Slaughter of the Soul'' (1995), marking the longest gap b ...
'' (2014)
* At the Gates – ''
To Drink from the Night Itself
''To Drink from the Night Itself'' is the sixth studio album by Swedish melodic death metal band At the Gates, released on 18 May 2018 via Century Media. The album is the first to feature guitarist Jonas Stålhammar and the first without co-foun ...
'' (2018)
* At the Gates – ''
The Nightmare of Being'' (2021)
*
Skitsystem
Skitsystem (; "Fucking System" or "Fucking Society", literally "Shit System") is a Swedish crust punk band formed in early 1994. Their sound was heavily influenced by death metal and D-beat. The band members originally came from different death ...
– ''Profithysteri'' (1995)
* Skitsystem – ''Ondskans ansikte'' (1996)
* Skitsystem/Wolfpack split – ''Levande lik'' (1998)
* Skitsystem – ''Grå värld/Svarta tankar'' (1999)
* Guest vocals on ''Devil Gate Ride'' on
The Crown
The Crown is the state in all its aspects within the jurisprudence of the Commonwealth realms and their subdivisions (such as the Crown Dependencies, overseas territories, provinces, or states). Legally ill-defined, the term has different ...
– ''
Deathrace King'' (2000)
*
The Great Deceiver – ''Jet Black Art'' (2000)
* Skitsystem – ''Enkel tesa till rännstenen'' (2001)
* Skitsystem – ''Skitsystem/Nasum Split'' (2002)
* The Great Deceiver – ''A Venom Well Designed'' (2002)
*
Lock Up – ''
Hate Breeds Suffering
''Hate Breeds Suffering'' is the second album by Napalm Death grindcore side project Lock Up. It features Tomas Lindberg on vocals.
Track listing
# "Feeding on the Opiate" (1:29)
# "Castrate the Wreckage" (1:34)
# "Violent Reprisal" (1 ...
'' (2002)
*
The Crown
The Crown is the state in all its aspects within the jurisprudence of the Commonwealth realms and their subdivisions (such as the Crown Dependencies, overseas territories, provinces, or states). Legally ill-defined, the term has different ...
– ''
Crowned in Terror'' (2002)
*
Disfear
Disfear is a Swedish crust punk band that formed in the early 1990s and recorded sporadically over the years. After releasing the albums ''Soul Scars'' in 1995 and '' Everyday Slaughter'' in 1997, the group did not release another album until 20 ...
– ''
Misanthropic Generation
''Misanthropic Generation'' is the fifth album by Swedish D-beat band Disfear. It is the first full-length album from the band to feature Tomas Lindberg
Tomas Lindberg (born 16 October 1972), also known as "Tompa" and "Goatspell", is a Swed ...
'' (2003)
* Guest vocals on "Sadist Nation" from
Darkest Hour – ''
Hidden Hands of a Sadist Nation
''Hidden Hands of a Sadist Nation'' is the third full-length studio album by American melodic death metal
Melodic death metal (also referred to as melodeath) is a subgenre of death metal that employs highly melodic guitar riffs, often borrowi ...
'' (2003)
* Guest vocals on "Dirty Colored Knife and Under the Spell" from Nail Within – self-titled (2003)
* The Great Deceiver – ''Terra Incognito'' (2003)
*
Nightrage
Nightrage is a Greek/Swedish melodic death metal band originally from Thessaloniki. They later re-located to Gothenburg, Sweden.
History Formation and ''Sweet Vengeance'' (2000–2003)
Nightrage was founded by Marios Iliopoulos and his c ...
– ''
Sweet Vengeance'' (2003)
* Guest vocals on "Cancer of the Mind" from Area 54 – ''Beckoning of the End'' (2003)
* Nightrage – ''
Descent into Chaos'' (2005)
* Lock Up – ''Play Fast or Die: Live in Japan'' (2005)
* The Great Deceiver – ''Life Is Wasted on the Living'' (2007)
* Guest vocals on "The Blessing" from
Slowmotion Apocalypse – ''
Obsidian
Obsidian () is a naturally occurring volcanic glass formed when lava extrusive rock, extruded from a volcano cools rapidly with minimal crystal growth. It is an igneous rock.
Obsidian is produced from felsic lava, rich in the lighter elements s ...
'' (2007)
* Disfear – ''
Live the Storm
''Live the Storm'' is the sixth album by Swedish hardcore punk/ D-beat band Disfear. It was released in January 2008 under Relapse Records.
Track listing
Personnel
;Disfear
*Tomas Lindberg
Tomas Lindberg (born 16 October 1972), also known ...
'' (2008)
* Guest vocals on "White Knives" from Transistor Transistor – ''Young Vampires of New Hampshire 7"'' (2008)
* Guest vocals on "Ruling Class Cancelled" from
Misery Index – ''
Traitors'' (2008)
* Necronaut – Necronaut Vocals on ''Rise of the Sentinel'' (2010)
* Nightrage – ''
Vengeance Descending'' (2010)
* Guest vocals on "The Mark of the Beast Part 2" from
Salem (Israel band)
Salem is an Israeli extreme metal band, pioneers of the oriental metal movement and of the Israeli heavy metal scene in general. Much of their lyrics and music deals with political issues concerning the Jewish people and Israel, most notably ...
– ''
Playing God and Other Short Stories'' (2010)
* Lock Up – ''
Necropolis Transparent'' (2011)
* Nightrage – Guest vocals on ''
Insidious
Insidious may refer to:
* ''Insidious'' (film series), a horror film series consisting of the films listed below
** ''Insidious'' (film), a 2010 American supernatural horror film
** '' Insidious: Chapter 2'', a 2013 sequel
** '' Insidious: Chapt ...
'' (2011)
*
Converge
Converge may refer to:
* Converge (band), American hardcore punk band
* Converge (Baptist denomination), American national evangelical Baptist body
* Limit (mathematics)
* Converge ICT, internet service provider in the Philippines
*CONVERGE CFD s ...
– guest vocals on ''
Converge / Napalm Death'' (2012)
* The Blood of Heroes – Guest vocals on "The Waking Nightmare" (2013)
* Guest vocal on Solitary Confinement from Decadawn (2014)
* Science Slam Sonic Explorers – guest vocals on ''Deep Time Predator'' (with Invertia) (2015)
* City Keys – Guest vocals on "Condemned", from the ''Evil Greed EP'' (2017)
* The Lurking Fear – "Out Of The Voiceless Grave" (2017)
*
Orphaned Land
Orphaned Land is an Israeli heavy metal band, formed in 1991 under the name Resurrection (changing their name in 1992 to the current name), that combines Israeli Jewish, Mizrahi, and other West Asian influences. They are considered the pioneer ...
– Guest vocals on ''Only the Dead Have Seen the End of War'' from ''
Unsung Prophets & Dead Messiahs'' (2018)
* ColdTears – Guest vocals on ''Silence Them All'' (2018)
References
External links
* https://web.archive.org/web/20051016100708/http://www.soundbase-online.com/incoming/bilder/lindberg.jpg
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lindberg, Tomas
Swedish heavy metal singers
Living people
1972 births
Musicians from Gothenburg
Lock Up (British band) members
At the Gates members
Nightrage members
21st-century Swedish singers
21st-century Swedish male singers
Liers in Wait members