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David Parland, better known as Blackmoon, was a celebrated Swedish musician, notorious in the black metal community for being the co-founder of Dark Funeral. He also co-founded black metal groups Necrophobic, War and Infernal. A talented guitarist and an amazing songwriter, David Parland was a predominant and exponentially creative force in all bands in which he became involved, something easy to conclude by virtue of his role as a founding member and a leading figure in all these black metal acts. He was a proverbial influence in shaping the sonorous style, the dynamic visuals and the ideological direction of those musical groups, although more commonly in conjunction with other members, despite the fact that, in some of his projects, David Parland did most of the work all by himself.
Born in Sweden in 1970, David Parland first became involved in music in 1989, when he was eighteen years old, and founded Necrophobic with another musician. In 1993, he founded Dark Funeral with guitarist and songwriter Mikael Svanberg – better known as Lord Ahriman –, which would be his best known and most notorious creation in the genre. In a few years, Dark Funeral would rise to become one of the most infamous black metal bands in the world, and a reference in the history of the genre. Initially reconciling his two bands perfectly, David Parland eventually departed from Necrophobic to fully concentrate on Dark Funeral. Despite the fact that his partnership with Svanberg – and the additional cast of musicians that joined them – would marvelously succeed, David Parland remained in Dark Funeral only for three years, leaving the band in 1996, after the release of their debut album, the iconic The Secrets of the Black Arts. The recording process for this album occurred in difficult and troublesome circumstances, being a landmark in the history of the band. Completely dissatisfied with the original product, David Parland insisted with his band mates that the album should be recorded again. Although the other band members were not as disappointed as David, he won the argument, and the album was recorded again, in a different studio, with a different producer. Nonetheless, several facts in David’s life – mainly, the solitary path he underwent musically, sometime after the album was released – suggest that he became profoundly unsatisfied with the sonorous style shaped by Dark Funeral, and that was the most probable reason for him to quit the band. With another two prominent musicians of the black metal scene, David Parland founded another band, simply called War. Short-lived, whilst it was active, the band had delivered three releases: an EP, a full-length and a compilation album, but repercussion of the work was unsatisfying. Sometime before they disbanded, the band had to change their name to Total War, since an American band already had the rights to the War name.
By this time, David Parland also founded Infernal, which started as a band, but eventually, over the years, became more of a personal project, since Parland alone wrote all the songs, and performed and recorded everything mostly by himself. Sometimes he was assisted by occasional session musicians, that usually were friends or acquaintances from his musical circle. Mainly a drummer, or a bassist.
By this time, David Parland also founded Infernal, which started as a band, but eventually, over the years, became more of a personal project, since Parland alone wrote all the songs, and performed and recorded everything mostly by himself. Sometimes he was assisted by occasional session musicians, that usually were friends or acquaintances from his musical circle. Mainly a drummer, or a bassist.
In 2003, after years of a marginal degree of productivity, having released only two EP’s and a split, it became clear that Infernal was going nowhere. As a result, David Parland took a hiatus of almost six years. During this period, although haven’t becoming necessarily inactive, Parland maintained his involvement in music restricted to a minimum.
For little more than a decade, from the mid-nineties to the beginning of the 2000’s, David Parland managed his own record label, called Hellspawn Records. Within his tenure as a small label manager, David Parland printed by Hellspawn ten releases, ranging from his musical projects and bands, as well as other prominent acts within the underground metal community.
After several years of invisibility in the musical scene, David Parland returned in 2009, to fully concentrate on his project, Infernal. Resurfacing with surprising vigor, lucidity and energy, Parland released an EP titled The Infernal Return, under the Infernal moniker. Although Parland was doing mostly everything by himself – like vocals, guitar, lyrics, songwriting and occasional bass playing –, he was being assisted by a revolving cast of musicians – mainly bass and drum players –, and was apparently seriously trying to transform Infernal in a live band, but to hold on a permanent basis by his side the right musicians, with the level of commitment that he wanted, and also on the same musical alignment, proved to be a goal almost impossible to achieve. He also announced the full length debut of Infernal, an album tentatively titled The Infernal Retribution, which was never recorded. Unfortunately, when everything seemed to be fine and going well with David, he mysteriously disappeared again from the musical scene. After some years, he resurfaced, and revealed what was going on in his life. He explained everything in a very long, honest and detailed October 2012 interview, that he gave for Rites of the Black Moon, a webzine that already had interviewed him three years earlier.
For little more than a decade, from the mid-nineties to the beginning of the 2000’s, David Parland managed his own record label, called Hellspawn Records. Within his tenure as a small label manager, David Parland printed by Hellspawn ten releases, ranging from his musical projects and bands, as well as other prominent acts within the underground metal community.
After several years of invisibility in the musical scene, David Parland returned in 2009, to fully concentrate on his project, Infernal. Resurfacing with surprising vigor, lucidity and energy, Parland released an EP titled The Infernal Return, under the Infernal moniker. Although Parland was doing mostly everything by himself – like vocals, guitar, lyrics, songwriting and occasional bass playing –, he was being assisted by a revolving cast of musicians – mainly bass and drum players –, and was apparently seriously trying to transform Infernal in a live band, but to hold on a permanent basis by his side the right musicians, with the level of commitment that he wanted, and also on the same musical alignment, proved to be a goal almost impossible to achieve. He also announced the full length debut of Infernal, an album tentatively titled The Infernal Retribution, which was never recorded. Unfortunately, when everything seemed to be fine and going well with David, he mysteriously disappeared again from the musical scene. After some years, he resurfaced, and revealed what was going on in his life. He explained everything in a very long, honest and detailed October 2012 interview, that he gave for Rites of the Black Moon, a webzine that already had interviewed him three years earlier.
In this interview, David Parland revealed quite frankly that he was dealing with the consequences of a series of major problems in his personal life. Some years ago, he was involved in a serious car accident, that he suffered when he ran over an elk, returning from a studio in the Swedish countryside. The car was extensively damaged, beyond repair, but he survived without major distress. Nonetheless, he sustained terrible injuries caused by the car crash, and had to deal, from then on, with chronic pain. To alleviate his suffering, he started to use medications, and eventually became addicted. Inevitably, he had to be isolated in a psychiatric facility for an undisclosed period of time for treatment.
Parland also revealed that this problem had brought him bad financial circumstances, since he wasn’t able to work in a regular job by virtue of his pain. Nonetheless, he maintained some positivity, affirming that he was planning to return to music full time. He also disclosed the problem of getting in Sweden the medications that he needed to properly treat his condition, revealing how terrible and restrictive the healthcare system was in his country. Even prescriptions for soft medications could be hard to get, because, in his own words “nearly everything is considered a narcotic here”. Describing how difficult it was for him to properly function without medication, David Parland also addressed his indignation and resentment towards the policy that makes pharmacological substances hard to obtain, and how much suffering these flawed laws brings to people who really needs the medicine to counterattack the aggressive symptoms of their precarious health. David Parland also debated about another points of concern in his life, and meticulously discussed his ambitions towards his work and his music. He was also working on another project, simply titled Blackmoon – that was also called Darkwinds, and Blackmoon’s Darkwinds for a while –, and under this alias, a demo, an unreleased demo and an untitled album was produced.
Unfortunately, things did not go well from then on. In March 19, 2013, David Parland committed suicide. He was forty two years old. Nobody knows precisely what was going on in his life for a fact, or what circumstances specifically drove him to execute such a desperate act. When hearing the news of his death, former band mate, Mikael Svanberg, from Dark Funeral, expressed in a formal statement his grief and sadness. He declared that, although he and David had their differences, they were friends, and David occasionally visited him in his residence, especially when he was dealing with severe difficulties. He also declared that, four days before he took his own life, David Parland called him, and the two spoke to each other naturally. Svanberg told the media that Parland seemed normal and okay, and by what he understood from their conversation, things were going fine. He also pointed out the fact that David knew he could always count on him, and didn’t know why, before considering an extreme act like suicide, Parland didn’t called him again, asking for help.
Apparently, David Parland’s artistic endeavors, goals and aspirations never took the path that he wanted, although he fought hard to be in control of the circumstances, and to react against the terrible situations that constantly affected his life. Struggling endlessly with the difficulties inherent to a musical career – specially in a subgenre of the underground scene, like black metal – he always had to be pleased with little, being forced to deal with an insurmountable succession of adversities, which tormented him with an afflictive chain of frustrations, brought by a spiral of problems that always put obstacles and barriers on his way and compromised his objectives. One way or another, David Parland always had to deal with circumstances whose control was always beyond his possibilities.
An underground icon that achieved cult status in the nineties, and a legendary figure of the Swedish underground scene, David Parland still can be considered an elemental shadow of nature, and a vigorous force of black metal. He will be remembered for the great musician he was. A pioneer of black metal, he always will have a special place within our hearts, our minds and our thoughts! Although we miss him, now that he has been absent for four years, we have a little comfort in the fact that, at least, David Parland finally is having the rest that was constantly denied to him in life.
Wagner
Parland also revealed that this problem had brought him bad financial circumstances, since he wasn’t able to work in a regular job by virtue of his pain. Nonetheless, he maintained some positivity, affirming that he was planning to return to music full time. He also disclosed the problem of getting in Sweden the medications that he needed to properly treat his condition, revealing how terrible and restrictive the healthcare system was in his country. Even prescriptions for soft medications could be hard to get, because, in his own words “nearly everything is considered a narcotic here”. Describing how difficult it was for him to properly function without medication, David Parland also addressed his indignation and resentment towards the policy that makes pharmacological substances hard to obtain, and how much suffering these flawed laws brings to people who really needs the medicine to counterattack the aggressive symptoms of their precarious health. David Parland also debated about another points of concern in his life, and meticulously discussed his ambitions towards his work and his music. He was also working on another project, simply titled Blackmoon – that was also called Darkwinds, and Blackmoon’s Darkwinds for a while –, and under this alias, a demo, an unreleased demo and an untitled album was produced.
Unfortunately, things did not go well from then on. In March 19, 2013, David Parland committed suicide. He was forty two years old. Nobody knows precisely what was going on in his life for a fact, or what circumstances specifically drove him to execute such a desperate act. When hearing the news of his death, former band mate, Mikael Svanberg, from Dark Funeral, expressed in a formal statement his grief and sadness. He declared that, although he and David had their differences, they were friends, and David occasionally visited him in his residence, especially when he was dealing with severe difficulties. He also declared that, four days before he took his own life, David Parland called him, and the two spoke to each other naturally. Svanberg told the media that Parland seemed normal and okay, and by what he understood from their conversation, things were going fine. He also pointed out the fact that David knew he could always count on him, and didn’t know why, before considering an extreme act like suicide, Parland didn’t called him again, asking for help.
Apparently, David Parland’s artistic endeavors, goals and aspirations never took the path that he wanted, although he fought hard to be in control of the circumstances, and to react against the terrible situations that constantly affected his life. Struggling endlessly with the difficulties inherent to a musical career – specially in a subgenre of the underground scene, like black metal – he always had to be pleased with little, being forced to deal with an insurmountable succession of adversities, which tormented him with an afflictive chain of frustrations, brought by a spiral of problems that always put obstacles and barriers on his way and compromised his objectives. One way or another, David Parland always had to deal with circumstances whose control was always beyond his possibilities.
An underground icon that achieved cult status in the nineties, and a legendary figure of the Swedish underground scene, David Parland still can be considered an elemental shadow of nature, and a vigorous force of black metal. He will be remembered for the great musician he was. A pioneer of black metal, he always will have a special place within our hearts, our minds and our thoughts! Although we miss him, now that he has been absent for four years, we have a little comfort in the fact that, at least, David Parland finally is having the rest that was constantly denied to him in life.
Wagner
