Metallica’s frontman slows things down for a Christmas classic.
James Hetfield has swapped distortion pedals for a storybook this Christmas.
The Metallica frontman released a spoken-word reading of ’Twas the Night Before Christmas, offering fans an unexpectedly intimate holiday moment.
Fans know Hetfield for his command, the bark, the growl, the sheer physicality of Metallica at full volume.
Here, he dials it all back.
His delivery is calm but textured, letting certain lines linger just long enough to feel slightly off-kilter, as if reminding us that even the most familiar stories carry shadows.
When the reindeer are named, there’s a faint edge.
When Santa laughs, it lands warm but strange.
It’s festive, yes, but unmistakably Hetfield.
The poem itself needs no introduction, but hearing it through this voice reframes it.
Written nearly two centuries ago as a gift from a father to his children, it’s a story rooted in ritual and repetition, much like the music Metallica fans have grown up with.
In that sense, the reading feels less like a novelty and more like a quiet extension of the band’s relationship with its audience: familiar, grounding, and strangely comforting.
Coming off the back of Metallica’s recent Australia and New Zealand tour, the timing feels intentional, a deep breath after the noise, a moment of stillness before the year closes.
Metallica are set to embark on their M72 World Tour’s European leg in 2026.
Whether you hear it as a holiday novelty or a genuinely tender gesture, Hetfield’s Christmas reading is worth the few quiet minutes it asks of you.
You can watch and listen via Metallica’s official channels now, consider it a different kind of encore.
