Grindcore supergroup Lock Up have confirmed At The Gates' frontman Tomas Lindberg has left the band on a permanent basis.
The group, Anton Reisenegger (Pentagram, Criminal), Shane Embury (Napalm Death, Venomous Concept, Brujeria) and Nick Barker (Cradle Of Filth, Dimmu Borgir), have issued a statement stating he’s departed because of his commitments with his main band.
They say: “Unfortunately, we have to announce the departure of our brother and long-time vocalist Tomas Lindberg. There is absolutely no bad blood or drama involved and we wish Tompa nothing but the best in all his future endeavours.
“At The Gates have just released a brand new, killer album and the subsequent touring schedule that will follow means Tompa simply won’t have any free time to commit to Lock Up’s imminent future plans of recording a new album or any live performances that will follow.”
They’ve recruited Brutal Truth frontman Kevin Sharp who made his live debut with the band at the Manizales Grita Rock festival in Colombia. He’s now been confirmed as the group’s vocalist on a permanent basis.
Lindberg says: “I sadly had to part ways with my good old grind buddies in Lock Up. This is due to time, schedule and logistic issues as the new At The Gates record needs and deserves its time.
“In a dream world I could do both but it would be egoistic of me to hang on and constantly having to say no to stuff because I wasn’t available.
“Kevin Sharp will be a perfect replacement. He has the heart, the passion and the voice. He has also been a friend of everybody in the band for as long as I can remember.”
Lock Up will hit the studio early next year to begin work on the follow-up to 2011’s Necropolis Transparent.
