The Downward Spiral was not just a metaphor:

In 1997, Fincher, after having used the track “Closer” for the title credits of Se7en, met Reznor on the set of the video for “The Perfect Drug.”

Like Fincher, Reznor’s talent began manifesting itself at an early age. He was playing piano at five, and in high school, he would learn to play the tuba and saxophone. His debut album as the frontman for Nine Inch Nails released in 1989, but it wasn’t until the band’s sophomore album, The Downward Spiral, was released in 1994 that the world took notice of the cutting edge rock group.

During this time, though, Reznor was abusing drugs and alcohol, and the toll of the substance abuse began to mar his ability to write and produce.