Listen: METALLICA's JAMES HETFIELD Reads 'A Visit From St. Nicholas'

METALLICA has released a recording of James Hetfield reading "A Visit From St. Nicholas" (often called "The Night Before Christmas" and "'Twas The Night Before Christmas", from its first line),a poem first published anonymously under the title "Account Of A Visit From St. Nicholas", in 1823. Authorship has been attributed to Clement Clarke Moore, who claimed authorship in 1837; but it has also been suggested that Henry Livingston Jr. wrote it.

Says METALLICA: "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."

Back in 2017, Hetfield spent two days delivering Christmas gifts to public safety workers in his home state of Colorado. Representing METALLICA's All Within My Hands foundation, Hetfield visited the police and fire departments in Vail, Colorado, bringing Starbucks gift cards to personnel during both visits. Hetfield also posed for photo ops with police and firefighters, as shared by the All Within My Hands social media.

As previously reported, , METALLICA played the Kingdom of Bahrain for the first time ever on December 3, performing in front of 10,000 fans at the Beyon Al Dana Amphitheatre as part of the band's "M72" world tour. METALLICA also performed at the post-race concert of the Formula 1 Qatar Airways Qatar Grand Prix on November 30 at Lusail International Circuit in Doha, Qatar.

METALLICA's headline concert in Qatar took place on Lusail Live Stage following the conclusion of the race and prize presentation to the drivers. The performance, part of METALLICA's "M72" world tour, brought the legendary rock band to Qatar for the first time.

The day before the Qatar concert, METALLICA members Hetfield, Robert Trujillo and Lars Ulrich visited F1 team garages ahead of the race and met several notable individuals from the Formula 1 industry, including F1 president and CEO Stefano Domenicali. Hetfield and his girlfriend Adriana Gillett were also photographed greeting celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay.

METALLICA also performed at the 2025 Abu Dhabi Formula 1 Grand Prix on Yas Island on December 6.

METALLICA's recent shows in Australia marked the first time the legendary American metal band had been Down Under in more than a decade. Support on the trek came from EVANESCENCE and SUICIDAL TENDENCIES.

Prior to this fall's shows, METALLICA's last appearance in Australia was as the headliner of the Soundwave Festival in 2013.

The Australian dates were also part of METALLICA's "M72" world tour, named after the band's 2023 album "72 Seasons". The "M72" Australian stadium tour, produced by Live Nation, found the heavy metal icons performing at the end of stadiums, with the band's infamous Snake Pit extended from the front of the stage.

While a majority of METALLICA's 2024 and 2025 world tour dates consisted of the "No-Repeat Weekend" setlists — where the Hetfield-fronted act played in the same city for two nights and mixed up its setlists each night — the Australian and New Zealand shows were billed as "One Night Only".