David Parland
A foundational architect of Swedish black metal, his raw, aggressive guitar work shaped the sound of multiple influential bands.
1970–2013 (age 43)·Swedish guitarist·Birthday: September 26·Generation X
Biography
David Parland, who performed under the name Blackmoon, was a central but often unsung force in the birth of Sweden's second-wave black metal scene. Emerging from Stockholm in the early 1990s, his musical vision was characterized by a frigid, relentless, and unadorned aggression. He didn't just join bands; he built them from the ground up, co-founding three pivotal acts: Necrophobic, Dark Funeral, and Infernal. His tenure in these groups, particularly his foundational work on Dark Funeral's seminal early EPs, established a template of blistering speed and sinister atmosphere that would define the genre's Scandinavian branch. Parland's path was marked by a purist's intensity, leading him to depart from projects as they evolved. His life was cut short in 2013, but the frostbitten riffs he crafted in those formative years continue to echo through extreme metal.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
David was born in 1970, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When David Was Born
The biggest hits of 1970
#1 Movie
Love Story
Best Picture
Patton
#1 TV Show
Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In
David's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1970Born
First Earth Day; The Beatles break up
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $17,000Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Bridge over Troubled Water" — Simon & GarfunkelBest Picture: Patton
1975Started school
Fall of Saigon ends the Vietnam War
Gas: $0.57/galHome: $27,600Min wage: $2.10/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Love Will Keep Us Together" — Captain & TennilleBest Picture: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
1983Became a teenager
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1986Could drive
Challenger disaster; Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $66,600Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"That's What Friends Are For" — Dionne & FriendsBest Picture: Platoon
1988Could vote
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1991Turned 21
Soviet Union dissolves; World Wide Web goes public
Gas: $1.14/galHome: $82,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" — Bryan AdamsBest Picture: The Silence of the Lambs
2000Turned 30
Y2K passes without incident; contested Bush-Gore election
Gas: $1.51/galHome: $119,600Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Breathe" — Faith HillBest Picture: Gladiator
2010Turned 40
Deepwater Horizon oil spill; iPad launched
Gas: $2.79/galHome: $147,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Tik Tok" — KeshaBest Picture: The King's Speech
2013Died at 43
Edward Snowden reveals NSA surveillance programs
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $152,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Thrift Shop" — Macklemore & Ryan LewisBest Picture: 12 Years a Slave
Key Achievements
- Co-founded the influential Swedish black metal bands Dark Funeral, Necrophobic, and Infernal.
- His guitar work on Dark Funeral's 1994 'Dark Funeral' EP is considered a landmark in Scandinavian black metal.
- Played a key role in shaping the raw, high-tempo sound that defined Sweden's early black metal identity.
Did You Know?
His stage name, Blackmoon, was reportedly inspired by a Celtic Frost song.
He left Dark Funeral after their first EP, disagreeing with the band's subsequent musical direction.
Parland was also a skilled visual artist who created logos and artwork for several metal bands.
“The music must be cold, sharp, and true, like a weapon.”
