Traditional tales about fabled monsters and fantastic beasts are as varied as the places where the stories begin. Some of the more popular accounts of grotesque creatures include the American jackalope, the Himalayan Yeti and a blood-thirsty Chupacabra, which occupies the desolate chaparrals throughout northern Mexico. Perhaps the most celebrated, Bigfoot, remains an ancient but widely accepted notion. But another legend, the “Abagoochy,” has recently been resurrected, thanks to the music of Creep Scene.

                                                                       Origins

Once upon a time and not so long ago, an incredible monster apparently lurked amid the forested mountains of West Virginia, or at least that is what some residents were led to believe. According to the June 2001 edition of Field & Stream magazine, “The beast, an ‘abbagoochie,’ was said to devour every living thing it encountered-rabbits, squirrels, raccoons, deer, and even black bears.” A local newspaper went so far as printing a photograph of the ravenous, fanged fiend. Reports say the ensuing hysteria continued for an entire week until a lone journalist admitted to creating the hoax. But that was then and this is now. The abbagoochie lives on as the topic of a song by the North Carolina-based music artist Creep Scene, albeit with a slightly different spelling.

Creature Personified Melody  

Much like a Chupacabra, a dragon or even an abbagoochie, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s classic novel “The Hound of the Baskervilles,” features a strange creature invented from an evil realm living on the moors of southwest England. Now, try putting music to such an idea. Multi-instrumentalist, metalist and producer Creep Scene, a former national touring drummer, draws upon mythology in the album Regret with the 5:28 track “Abagoochy.” Released Jul. 25, 2018, the original cut goes a step further when the lyrics reveal a different kind of animal, one that prowls on two legs.

Explosive, sometimes explicit and often intense, a simple phrase confirms this “Abagoochy” stands upright when the vocalist reveals, “That you beat up on them and you don’t know what to do about it.” The sentence sounds like a warning made in the first person and aimed directly to another character. Perhaps a bully or a tormentor abusing its prey, the song lyrics indicate someone knows what really happened, raising the stakes. Creep Scene uses metal to cleverly enhance and personalize the myth in a contemporary way. After listening to Regret and watching the accompanying videos, the artist Creep Scene has a unique music persona which sets you thinking after the song has ended.

                                                                       Music and Lore   

If you take a look, songs exist about many different myths, including Big Foot, or Sasquatch, the jackalope, the Yeti, Mothman, Montauk Monster, Jersey Devil and a host of others. Most tunes about invented animals and beings are usually funny and humorous when dealing with the subject. Where else can an idea go about a vicious furry snow giant or a rabbit with oversized antlers? But Creep Scene’s take on a brief-lived tale is dark, loud and serious, making for great listening.

Look for Creep Scene on Facebook  and Twitter.

Photo of abbagoochie from westvirginiaurbanlegends.com

Chupacabra drawing: Jeff Carter/HowStuffWorks; Creative Commons.