(This is a follow-up to my previous post theorizing about some comics’ influences on Dax’s lyrics)
Disclaimer : This article was written years before all the Gaiman accusations rose to the surface (June 2023, when the second issue of my fanzine Die Now & Worry Later was released). I’ve chosen to let this article written as it was back then, because I believe it is crucial, at least for me, to be able to separate the art from the artist. I believe that as an adult, one can still appreciate the art creations while acknowledging their creators might be pieces of shit at the same time.
On a lighter note, Acid Bath has now announced its reunion and some tour dates !!!
In 1998, Neil Gaiman, Writer extraordinaire, wrote the story called “Only the End of the World Again”, in which the main character is a werewolf dealing with elder gods shenanigans in Innsmouth. The city featured comes from Lovecraft’s story “The Shadow Over Innsmouth” published in 1931. As a side note, Gaiman also wrote another short story about Innsmouth : “Shoggoth’s Old Peculiar”.
Dax Rigg‘s band Agents Of Oblivion released their only self-titled album in 2000, featuring the opening track song “Endsmouth”. It’s opening lyrics are:
“It’s only the end of the world again…”.
After that, the rest of the lyrics clearly delves into the Lovecraftian lore, evoking frogmen, the breath beneath the skin and something like a woman screaming…
On the same album, the song “Wither” features the lyrics :
“One thing is certain, the rest is a lie
One thing is certain, life flies.”
In the Neil Gaiman (again !) comic “Black Orchid”, which came out in 1989, the first chapter title is “Once Thing is Certain…” because different characters use the exact line :
Those lines are a reference to an old poem called “Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam” which is acknowledged by Gaiman in the comic :
Check out Gaiman and Rigg‘s work, you won’t be disappointed. And if you do, I don’t care, your loss. I’m going to finish this with one of my favorite Gaiman‘s quotes, from his fantastic comic “Book of Magics”, in which a young English boy with glasses, a facial scar and an owl pet is destined to become the world’s greatest magician… Sounds familiar ? Well, it was written years before the Harry Potter saga, but that’s another story… Maybe next time !
*Faust – Love Of The Damned is a legendary extreme outlaw comic created by David Quinn and Tim Vigil. Its artwork was also used by the infamous Parisian hardcore band Kickback as the cover of their first album “Cornered”:
And since I’d like to include myself in this topic, here’s a Faust fan art I did :
