Metallica frontman James Hetfield has delivered an unexpectedly festive gift to fans, releasing a spoken-word rendition of the beloved holiday poem “Twas the Night Before Christmas”.
Hetfield shared his interpretation on Metallica’s SiriusXM channel, Maximum Metallica, before it was uploaded to the band’s YouTube channel. Check it out below.
The release comes after Metallica wrapped their Australia and New Zealand tour late last month.
Rolling Stone AU/NZ was at the first show of the tour in Perth, and gave it a 4/5 star review.
“So, for their first Australian tour since 2013’s Soundwave jaunt (their 2019 tour was canned when singer/guitarist James Hetfield took himself off to rehab), Metallica served up a career-spanning smorgasbord that played to many of their strengths and delighted those of a certain age whose jaw hit the floor listening to their 1983 debut Kill ‘Em All, right through to younger fans, of which there are many present tonight,” we wrote.
“Metallica could have played another two hours featuring many of the great songs they skipped tonight, but the chosen songs, the show, and the entire spectacle of Metallica live in 2025 was undeniably triumphant.”
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Meanwhile, the New Zealand show was the band’s first in 15 years and they made the trip one a return to remember, which even included blistering covers of Split Enz’s “I Got You” and Six60’s “Don’t Forget Your Roots”.
Check out all of the takeaways from the Auckland show here.
Rolling Stone AU/NZ was at the Eden Park show, which received a five-star review.
“For lead vocalist James Hetfield, this return offered redemption: his decision to enter an addiction treatment programme six years prior sidelined the band’s previous world tour in support of their 2016 album Hardwired… to Self-Destruct, leading to the cancellation of all shows across Oceania and extending New Zealand’s wait to over a decade,” the review reads.
“Even past their supposed prime, Metallica not only sound tighter than ever but as passionate about their craft as when they were just starting out. So even if Kiwi fans have to wait another 15 years to see them again, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see them return in fine form, even in their 70s.”
Read the full review here.
