The Thing That Should Not Be

Metallica's 'The Thing That Should Not Be' is a track from their 1986 album 'Master of Puppets', known for its heavy riffs and dark themes. The song's lyrics are steeped in the imagery and themes of H.P. Lovecraft's cosmic horror. The 'Messenger of fear' and the 'Great Old One' are references to Lovecraft's pantheon of ancient, powerful deities that lie dormant and are incomprehensible to human minds. The song speaks to the terror of the unknown and the madness that can come from encountering beings beyond our understanding.

The repeated line 'In madness, you dwell' suggests a loss of sanity, a common consequence for Lovecraft's characters who come into contact with these otherworldly entities. The 'Hybrid children' and the 'cult' mentioned in the song could be references to Lovecraft's 'The Shadow Over Innsmouth', where a town's inhabitants interbreed with creatures from the sea, forming a cult that worships ancient, deep-sea deities. The song captures the essence of Lovecraftian horror: the fear of the incomprehensible and the inevitable descent into madness upon facing it.

The title itself, 'The Thing That Should Not Be', encapsulates the core of Lovecraft's horror—the existence of entities that defy natural laws and whose very presence is an affront to reality. Metallica's song is a tribute to this genre, using their musical prowess to evoke the chilling atmosphere and existential dread that is characteristic of Lovecraft's work. The song is a journey into the depths of fear and insanity, driven by the band's powerful metal sound.