At The Gates will release their final studio album The Ghost Of A Future Dead with late vocalist Tomas "Tompa" Lindberg on April 24. While it's surely going to be a ripper – given everything At The Gates has ever done – it's also going to be a pretty hard listen.
In a new lengthy statement, At The Gates touched on everything from recording the new record to some of their final experiences with the late and great Tompa: "In February 2024 we entered Fascination Street Studios with producer Jens Bogren where we recorded all the music between February and March. Additional recording engineer: Alexander Backlund.
"We had the album pretty much written by mid December 2023, when Tomas got the bad news. We decided together with him that we probably should move ahead and record the music in February/March as planned and then record the vocals later in 2024. As this plan never materialized, we went back to check the demo vocals he had been recording prior to the studio recording with Per Stålberg.
"We were all very surprised by how good these takes were, especially Tomas himself. While in Fascination Street Studios we kept Tomas in the loop every day sending pictures, videos and progress reports in order to give him something positive to focus on after the first surgery and recuperation period. The recording went very well and we all gave our 100% for this album.
"We brought in Charlie Storm to do the album intro on 'The Fever Mask'. Fredrik Wallenberg did guest vocals on the track 'Det Oerhörda'. Jens started to mix the album it in the spring of 2024. We finalized the track order/sequencing for the album, and Tomas collaborated on the cover artwork with our friend Robert Samsonowitz.
"The whole of 2024 and some months into 2025 became just a waiting game for Tomas to recuperate and get better. We continuously pushed the album forward trying to find a release date that would work. In the first months of 2025 things actually looked a bit brighter, but in early May he went through a setback that he never recovered from.
"In August we felt the time was right to publish the news regarding his situation. This is an extremely important album for us all. We have poured our hearts into it. Hope you will like it too. Tomas, We miss your smile, your warmth, your creativity, your compassion & your humor. You inspired us in everything; from picking up instruments and starting a band back in the day, getting us interested in all kinds of music, art and literature.
"The world will never be the same. You are forever missed. This album is for you."
The Ghost of a Future Dead stands as a tribute to Lindberg, who passed away in September 2025 due to complications from cancer treatment.
In a previous statement, At The Gates reflected on the album's long journey to release: "We are proud to finally share some news about our eighth studio album, The Ghost of a Future Dead. The album will be released on April 24, 2026 – more than two years after it was completed in the studio.
"As you all know, Tomas Lindberg passed away last year due to complications from his cancer treatment. Over the past few years, we worked closely with Tomas, discussing and refining every detail to ensure nothing was left to chance.
"In accordance with Tomas' wishes – including the album title, sound mix, track order, artwork, and overall presentation – The Ghost of a Future Dead remains true to form. It combines the ferocious energy and hard-hitting powerful melodies that is the essence of At The Gates. This album is Tomas' legacy."
Pre-orders for The Ghost of a Future Dead are available here.
