Quick Question: Metallica and Theology

Queeb Salaron · Post by **Queeb Salaron** » 2003-03-30 07:18pm

Metallica wrote a song called "Call of Ktulu." Is that a reference to Clthulhu? There are no lyrics to the song, so I can't tell, and I can't find anything online that analyzes the origins of the song. If anyone knows anything (metal fans out there?) it'd be appreciated.

XaLEv · Post by **XaLEv** » 2003-03-30 07:28pm

Queeb Salaron wrote:Metallica wrote a song called "Call of Ktulu." Is that a reference to Clthulhu? There are no lyrics to the song, so I can't tell, and I can't find anything online that analyzes the origins of the song. If anyone knows anything (metal fans out there?) it'd be appreciated.

Almost certainly. Especially since they have another song - The Thing That Should Not Be - which has several obvious references to Cthulhu even though it never actually mentions him.

EDIT: lyrics to The Thing That Should Not Be

Messenger of Fear in sight
Dark deception kills the light
Hybrid children watch the sea
Pray for Father, roaming free
fearless Wretch
insanity
He watches
lurking beneath the sea
great Old One
forbidden site
He searches
Hunter of the Shadows is rising
immortal
Crawling Chaos, underground
cult has summoned, twisted sound
Out from ruins once possessed
fallen city, living death
fearless Wretch
insanity
He watches
lurking beneath the sea
timeless sleep
has been upset
He awakens
Hunter of the Shadows is rising
immortal
in madness You dwell
Not dead which eternal lie
stranger eons Death may die
drain you of your sanity
face The Thing That Should Not Be
fearless Wretch
insanity
He watches
lurking beneath the sea
great Old One
forbidden site
He searches
Hunter of the Shadows is rising
immortal
in madness You dwell.

Mark S · Post by **Mark S** » 2003-03-30 07:29pm

I believe that it is a reference to Cthulhu. I remember seeing an interview at one point where they said they were into reading Lovecraft at the time of writing it.

Frank Hipper · Post by **Frank Hipper** » 2003-03-30 08:24pm

I thought they spelled it correctly, also. One of my favorite Metallica songs.

Enforcer Talen · Post by **Enforcer Talen** » 2003-03-30 08:36pm

they spell it like ktulu. its a good song, I used it for one of my fanfics.

Stormbringer · Post by **Stormbringer** » 2003-03-30 09:01pm

I'm moving this to Off Topic since it has no real point being in SLAM. Unless you're one of those people that think Cthuhlu is real.

Durandal · Post by **Durandal** » 2003-03-30 09:13pm

Stormbringer wrote:I'm moving this to Off Topic since it has no real point being in SLAM. Unless you're one of those people that think Cthuhlu is real.

HE WILL EAT YOU!!!

Enforcer Talen · Post by **Enforcer Talen** » 2003-03-30 09:13pm

ph-nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn!

Keevan_Colton · Post by **Keevan_Colton** » 2003-03-30 09:14pm

Stormbringer wrote:I'm moving this to Off Topic since it has no real point being in SLAM. Unless you're one of those people that think Cthuhlu is real.

Can we move all the stuff about people that think Jesus and "God" are real too?
Please?

Durandal · Post by **Durandal** » 2003-03-30 09:34pm

Stop being a Cthulhu bigot!!

aerius · Post by **aerius** » 2003-03-30 10:24pm

In any case, "Ktulu" is a lot easier to spell and pronounce than "Cthulhu" so I'm happy. It's a wicked song with the best ending ever, there's 4 places where you think the song's going to end but it doesn't.

Tsyroc · Post by **Tsyroc** » 2003-03-31 05:47am

Must...listen....now. <click> Oh yeah.

Good tune.

Creeping Death, from the same albumn, has a Biblical reference. All the first born being killed in Eygpt.

Peregrin Toker · Post by **Peregrin Toker** » 2003-03-31 06:53am

aerius wrote:In any case, "Ktulu" is a lot easier to spell and pronounce than "Cthulhu" so I'm happy.

According to one of Lovecraft's letters (can't remember exactly which), Cthulhu is pronounced "Khluloo."

I usually pronounce it as a really unintelligible, vaguely K-ish sound followed by "ooloo."

Enforcer Talen · Post by **Enforcer Talen** » 2003-03-31 08:43am

I pronounce it koo-thoo-loo.

any proof to the rumor he said different pronounciations in different letters?

2000AD · Post by **2000AD** » 2003-03-31 02:46pm

Enforcer Talen wrote:ph-nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn!

Pity Ando doesn't still have that sig pic he had:

"What part of "ph-nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn!" don't you understand?"

Enforcer Talen · Post by **Enforcer Talen** » 2003-03-31 02:59pm

I had that as my wallpaper for weeks.

Rye · Post by **Rye** » 2003-04-01 12:54pm

I read a thing where to pronounce cthulhu correctly you have to make the most gutteral sound your throat can get to, then pronounce the first "cthu" with a roll of your tong from the palate of your mouth to the inside of your bottom lip, with the second part "lhu" just like "loo" i suppose.
ends up sounding more or less like "KLOO LOO".

Malecoda · Post by **Malecoda** » 2003-04-02 06:06pm

Sorry, but I can't get my tong into my mouth

Raoul Duke, Jr. · Post by **Raoul Duke, Jr.** » 2003-04-03 09:32pm

Queeb Salaron wrote:Metallica wrote a song called "Call of Ktulu." Is that a reference to Clthulhu? There are no lyrics to the song, so I can't tell, and I can't find anything online that analyzes the origins of the song. If anyone knows anything (metal fans out there?) it'd be appreciated.

In short: yes. There is at least one other Metallica song inspired by H.P. Lovecraft, The Thing That Should Not Be. In which we hear a chopped-up version of the couplet:

That is not dead which can eternal lie;
And with strange aeons, even Death may die...

Metallica's version is:

Not dead which eternal lie
Stranger aeons, Death may die

which seems inexcusable, until you realize that any other version of the couplet would've been completely unusable with the song's meter, and apparently it was just too cool a line for Hetfield and Co. not to use it. They did the best they could, and that ain't bad.

Raoul Duke, Jr. · Post by **Raoul Duke, Jr.** » 2003-04-03 09:36pm

Simon H.Johansen wrote:
aerius wrote:In any case, "Ktulu" is a lot easier to spell and pronounce than "Cthulhu" so I'm happy.
According to one of Lovecraft's letters (can't remember exactly which), Cthulhu is pronounced "Khluloo."

I usually pronounce it as a really unintelligible, vaguely K-ish sound followed by "ooloo."

I usually go all Irish and just say, "Fuck phonetics!" I pronounce it with a soft consonant somewhere between a c and a p, so that it's just a sort of kicked-out exhalation, followed by the Japanese abbreviated u sound. Something like, "Cphuh-lu"

But then people think I'm calling them names.

Which I am.

Just don't want 'em to think that.

HemlockGrey · Post by **HemlockGrey** » 2003-04-03 09:37pm

I usually pronounce it 'Thoo-loo'...

Raoul Duke, Jr. · Post by **Raoul Duke, Jr.** » 2003-04-03 09:37pm

Well, having read XaLEv's post (after missing it the first time) I feel somewhat stupid. I think I'll go buy a Greyhound ticket to Innsmouth.

Raoul Duke, Jr. · Post by **Raoul Duke, Jr.** » 2003-04-03 09:39pm

HemlockGrey wrote:I usually pronounce it 'Thoo-loo'...

But then, how do people know you're not talking about Mr. Sulu, with a lisp? People might get the wrong idea!

[geek]Um, wait, so the helm guy on the old Star Trek was an evil, demented, ancient gay alien space god?[/geek]

Hmm. Actually, that's kinda cool.

XaLEv · Post by **XaLEv** » 2003-04-03 09:56pm

I pronounce it Cthulhu.

Raoul Duke, Jr. wrote:Well, having read XaLEv's post (after missing it the first time) I feel somewhat stupid. I think I'll go buy a Greyhound ticket to Innsmouth.

It's cool. It happens.

mauldooku · Post by **mauldooku** » 2003-04-04 06:14pm

Excellent Topic. This song has been my #1 favorite for some time now.

You people MUST check out the Symphony and Metallica version!

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Quick Question: Metallica and Theology

Quick Question: Metallica and Theology

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