The dramatic version of the 1823 poem initially debuted on the band’s SiriusXM channel Maximum Metallica
If you’ve ever dreamed of James Hetfield reading you a festive bedtime story, consider this an early Christmas present. The Metallica frontman has released a spoken-word take on Clement-Clarke Moore’s 1823 classic “‘Twas the Night Before Christmas” (originally known as “A Visit from St. Nicholas”), proving that all nostalgic poems sometimes deserve a fresh interpretation.
Hetfield shared his impassioned rendition on Metallica’s SiriusXM channel Maximum Metallica last week before uploading it to the band’s YouTube channel. “Grab your cocoa and settle in by the fire before your long winter’s nap for a reading of ’Twas the Night Before Christmas by Papa Het,” the caption notes.
In the clip, Hetfield goes all in, narrating the tale of Santa visiting for Christmas with serious dramatic flair. It’s possible no one has ever said “His eyes, how they twinkled” with such an ominous intonation. The reading is accompanied by an animated fireplace hung with four stockings — one for each member of Metallica — and what appears to be a reindeer skull.
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Metallica will resume their M72 World Tour in May in Europe and the U.K. The trek has taken the band around the world in support of their 12th album 72 Seasons, released in 2023. The tour has seen the musicians live debut “Inamorata,” a track off 72 Seasons and the longest original track in their catalog. Rolling Stone highlighted the song in our review of the album, calling it a “master class in melancholy” and a “sprawling, 11-minute jam that slowly uncoils with sludgy, snarling riffs.”
Earlier this year, Metallica performed their smallest show in a decade, playing to a 500-person crowd in a tent ouside the Stephen Talkhouse in Amagansett, New York. The 95-minute greatest-hits set was intended to celebrate the band’s new SiriusXM channel, which launched on Aug. 29. The channel boasts the tagline “The Most Metallica Anywhere,” and features the band’s hits, deep cuts, live shows, rare recordings, and exclusive interviews. And, apparently, Christmas stories.
