A few nights before Christmas, things were far from silent at Metallica frontman James Hetfield’s house.
In the days leading up to the holiday, Hetfield set aside his guitar to deliver a special reading of the classic poem “A Visit From St. Nicholas,” also known by its famous opening line, “‘Twas the Night Before Christmas.” The poem, written by literature professor Clement Clarke Moore for his six children, was first published anonymously in the Troy Sentinel in Troy, N.Y., in 1823 and has become a holiday staple.
Hetfield’s rendition premiered Friday, Dec. 19, on Metallica’s Maximum Metallica channel on SiriusXM, before being shared to the band’s Instagram page. The post featured a cartoon image of a crackling fire, with stockings for each band member — drummer Lars Ulrich, Hetfield, bassist Robert Trujillo and guitarist Kirk Hammett — hung above the fireplace. In a nod to Metallica’s aesthetic, the mantle was also adorned with a fanged skull.
“Gather ‘Round… It’s Story Time with Papa Het,” read the caption. Departing from his usual vocal style, Hetfield read the poem in a warm, gentle tone, giving the well-known lines about “children nestled all snug in their beds, while visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads” a slightly ominous twist.
His voice shifted to its trademark gravel as he listed Santa’s reindeer, adding menace to the “dash away all!” passage, before sharing a laugh at the image of St. Nicholas shaking “like a bowl full of jelly.” Hetfield concluded the reading with an enthusiastic, “Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night!” One Instagram commenter wrote, “If you turn this into a song, that would be epic.”