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On the 19th of March, the Metal community lost one of the most gifted
musicians to emerge from Sweden during the formative years of the Black
and Death Metal scene of the early '90s. David Parland's musical legacy
cannot be denied. He was responsible for the creation of both
Necrophobic and Dark Funeral, among other bands. Though each has gone on
their own paths since parting ways with him, it is safe to say that
neither band would exist today without the impressive foundation laid
down by this man. For that, members and fans of both bands owe this man a
debt of gratitude.
Like many teens in the 1980s, David took an
early interest in Metal, starting with traditional bands but soon
gravitating toward the more extreme side of things. With a passion for
the likes of Bathory, Slayer and Morbid Angel, he picked up the guitar
and taught himself how to play. Already in high school, he formed his
first bands. Eventually, with Joakim Sterner and Stefan Zander,
Necrophobic was formed. One could tell, even from the Slow
Asphyxiation demo that this band had something that most of their peers
were lacking. By the time they released their first full-length, The
Nocturnal Silence, it was clear that Necrophobic had something very
special. Much of this should be attributed to David's songwriting
brilliance. It was his sense of melody and his way of conveying the
darkness that he felt in this world that made those songs what they are.
With so much creativity within him, David was not content to just play
Satanic Death Metal. Soon after, he joined with Ahriman and formed one
of Sweden's best-known Black Metal bands, Dark Funeral. With the
self-titled E.P. and The Secrets of the Black Arts, he created enough
momentum that this band is still going today, despite the severe decline
in quality since his departure. Within a short time, he had left both
bands, even though he'd written the majority of the material for
Necrophobic's sophomore effort, Darkside. The reason cited was that
there were personal differences. Anyone that has ever made music with
David will say that he can be difficult to work with, at times. I know
this from our time working on a project a couple years ago. The thing
that people may not realize is that he was a perfectionist. He had a
true artistic vision and could not accept anything less than 100% effort
from those around him because that is what he gave, himself. Music was
not a casual hobby for him. It was the greatest passion of his life.
This was quite evident when he spoke of his intentions for Infernal.
Though the band only released a few extended plays, he was determined to
put together a full-length album. The truth is, he could have done so
years ago, but he did not feel that all of the ingredients were right.
If the line-up or the material did not completely meet his expectations,
there was no way that he would release an album just for the sake of
doing so. He believed in quality over quantity. Anyone familiar with his
work should already know this. And, really, his musical career is
well-documented and there is little than I can say that would be news
for anyone. But I would like to speak a little about David Parland, as a
human.
David and I met during, what can be considered, the darkest periods of
each our lives. The first time that I spoke to him, it was the typical
sort of contact that one would expect, merely expressing my gratitude
for the music that he had created and how important it had been for me.
He soon saw my website, initially to see what had been written of his
bands, then reading much more and complimenting my work. After some
time, our conversations went beyond music. We discussed the various
trials and tribulations of existing in this world. Each of us were at
very low points and struggling just to remain alive, trying to cope with
unbelievable amounts of misery and solitude, enduring great pain
(mental and physical) as well. Through this darkness, we bonded and
became as brothers, each finally finding someone with which to share
every single thought, not worried about being misunderstood or
criticized. Even if we were just feeling completely hopeless or
frustrated with every aspect of life, we could rant to one another and
find some compassion and even encouragement to continue on. Many nights,
we would practically write short novels to one another, back and forth,
for hours on end. Due to nerve damage, I could not always write for a
long time without suffering in agony, so I began making voice recordings
from time to time, in place of emails. He responded by making videos
with his phone, talking to me for an hour or two at a time. For a long
while, this was the most human interaction either of us had. Anyone that
has been in a similar situation can probably understand how important
it is to find someone that truly understands and can empathize with you.
To encounter someone that sees the world in a very similar way and
thinks and feels the same, as well as experiencing the same kind of
problems... there was something very comforting in this. No matter how
many people abandoned or mistreated us in our time of need, we were
always able to reach out to one another and know that we could find some
sort of understanding and friendship, even if we were on opposite sides
of the ocean.
There were several times when I was ready to give
up on life, and David was there for me as a true friend. He didn't
hesitate to make an international call and cost himself $200 to speak to
me and make sure that I was alright and stable enough to not do
anything dangerous. Though we each talked and thought of death a lot, we
would often try to give encouraging words to the other. There were also
times when I had nowhere to stay and no money for food, and he sold off
some musical equipment to get money to wire to me, so that I could get a
room for a few nights or to feed myself. He really was like an older
brother, looking out for me. I tried to do the same and return the
favour whenever I was able, later getting and sending him one of the
pieces of equipment that he had earlier sacrificed for me. The truth is,
I could never repay him for what his friendship has meant to me over
the past five years or so.
The last time I visited him was this
past November. The tone of our typically sombre messages changed
drastically, the moment that I told him that I was on my way. He was
more excited than I had seen him, probably ever. During my few weeks
there, we managed to hang out about every other night. There wasn't a
whole lot to do, and we were both in too much pain to get out to the
forest or cemeteries and walk around for too long. Still, we managed to
visit various pubs and coffee shops and to spend countless hours talking
and actually sharing some laughs. He had a great sense of humour and when he smiled his eyes seemed two decades younger. He spoke fondly of the past, his
deeper involvement in the music scene some years earlier, rehearsing
with his bands, playing live and so on. Similarly, his face would light
up when he began talking about his plans for Infernal, how he wanted to
get his life back on track and focus on his music, as well as the
Bathory tribute album that he had been pouring so much time and effort
into. He was so lively and seemed more awake than ever before. Even
though it was often tough to get him motivated to get up and get out,
once I did, I think it was really good for him. One night, we ran into
some members of a local band and ended up going back to their rehearsal
space for some hours, though they had no idea who David was. As we were
talking about music, one of them mentioned Necrophobic and I pointed out
that they were sitting in the same room with the man that created that
band. He was too modest to bother speaking up first and telling people
of his accomplishments. But once they found out, they were asking him
questions and he was smiling and sharing more stories. At one point,
someone handed him a guitar and he began playing various songs, from old
Bathory and Slayer to Necrophobic and Infernal. For us, a couple of
bitter misanthropes to be socializing with strangers and having a nice
time, this was unexpected for each of us. And yet it was a really great
night that extended until about 5am. It showed that were were both
capable of functioning a little better, if only life would cut us a
break once in a while.
Not long after this, my depression reared its ugly head again, partially
because I knew that I would not be able to remain there in a place
where I actually had some purpose and friendship, and would have to
return to an existence of absolute nothingness. David was the only one
to see the warning signs and was texting me constantly, to check on me.
When he was unable to reach me for some hours (due to me not having
credits on the phone), he got very worried and was calling every place
that we regularly visited to see if I was there. He even called the
police, trying to see if they had any information, as he suspected the
worst. When we finally met up, he was very much shaken and I could tell
how stressed he had been, not being able to contact me after my
extremely negative message. The following week, the pain and
hopelessness got to be too much for me and I ended up attempting to end
my life anyway. David Parland was the only person that was there for me
and the only one that cared. He knew exactly what I was feeling and
understood completely, yet he still didn't want to see his friend die.
Even in recent months, as we bother continued to get hit with one more
terrible thing after another, we remained in contact and tried to be
supportive in whatever way possible. Being on another continent and
unable to return to Sweden as soon as I'd have liked, I made attempts to
contact various acquaintances and ex-bandmates of his to let them know
that he was in bad shape and urging them to reach out to him and to
help. Most of those messages were ignored, while some of the replies
that I received were nothing but apathetic. I can't help but feel bitter
toward those that knew him longer and were actually close by, yet did
nothing. That certainly wasn't the kind of half-hearted friendship that
he deserved. I've often said that when people look at someone in need
and say that they "wish they could help", that the truth is that they
would only do so if it was 100% convenient and required no sacrifice on
their part. David understood what real friendship was. He didn't turn
his back on those in need, as most people do. I want to extend my most
genuine gratitude toward those few people that truly offered him
friendship and support in his final days.
David Parland was the
kind of man that, while he was opinionated and tough to work with
sometimes, he would do anything in his power for those that he cared
about. He may have been misanthropic toward the masses, in general, but
he was fully capable of caring for people on an individual basis. He was
even forgiving to those that caused him massive grief and, maybe,
didn't deserve his forgiveness. A lot of people know him for his musical
contributions and, it is true, he has left behind a legacy that will
never be forgotten. Many will mourn him only as someone they looked up
to or because he's no longer around to record more music for them to
appreciate. But those of us that knew him on a deeper level, we know
that he was more than just a brilliant songwriter. He was an
intelligent, thoughtful, funny, generous, kind and understanding man
that suffered far too much in this rotten world and has gone far too
early. He often said that he would not live to an old age, but that he
at least wanted a few good years; to record and release one more album
with Infernal and to find love and settle down for a while. Though his
final days were incredibly difficult, it seemed that some of these
things were beginning to fall into place. He deserved a chance at a
peaceful life. He's now lost that. And I have lost more than a friend.
I've lost a brother.
He will be forever missed. Let us honour his memory, always.
R.I.P. 26.9.70 - 19.3.13
