H.R. Giger, famed creator of the Xenomorph, has passed away, reportedly from injuries sustained in a fall. Unlike most of the deaths we reflect on here at Last Rites, Giger was neither young nor a musician, yet his effect upon the world of heavy metal was profound. With his artwork adorning albums from Carcass, Celtic Frost, Danzig, and Triptykon, the biomechanical world of H.R. Giger is often the first thing to welcome people in to some metal essentials.
The prolific Swiss artist created a horrific world of machines and phalluses, of veins and wires, of demons and victims. These steely grey worlds complement the darkest of what metal has to offer us. The rapidfire beat of drums, the spiderwork creep of riffs, the violation of civilized morality: the artwork reflects the music and vice versa. In a statement regarding Giger’s passing, Triptykon frontman Tom G. Warrior called him both a mentor and a friend, and credited Giger with helping him move on from Celtic Frost to Triptykon. (You can read the full statement here.)
Giger’s dark genius will certainly be missed in the metal world, but his amazing work will continue to terrify and inspire. Go listen to one of the albums he inspires, whether Triptykon’s newest, Melana Chasmata, Giger’s earliest contribution to metal, Celtic Frost’s To Mega Therion, or the Danzig III: How the Gods Kill. Frame a print of one of his pieces and put it on your wall; see where it takes you.
