Overview
- Hetfield’s recitation of A Visit From St. Nicholas debuted Friday, Dec. 19, on Metallica’s Maximum Metallica channel on SiriusXM.
- The post carried the caption “Gather ‘Round… It’s Story Time with Papa Het,” presenting the piece as a festive fan treat.
- The upload features an animated yule-log scene with the band’s stockings on the mantle and a fanged skull as a tongue-in-cheek Metallica touch.
- Billboard describes Hetfield’s delivery as soothing and gravelly with a lightly ominous tinge on select lines, shifting to familiar grit for the reindeer roll call.
- The Music notes the track runs about four minutes and was shared online after its radio premiere.