Overview
- The four-minute rendition premiered Dec. 19 on the band’s Maximum Metallica SiriusXM channel before being shared on Instagram and YouTube.
- An animated video frames the narration with a crackling fireplace, stockings for each band member, and a fanged skull on the mantle.
- Hetfield reads the 1823 Clement Clarke Moore poem in a warm, gravel-toned delivery that occasionally leans ominous.
- The posts were captioned “Gather ‘Round… It’s Story Time with Papa Het,” signaling a festive one-off for the fan community.
- Coverage places the release as a seasonal aside during the ongoing M72 tour, while talk of potential Las Vegas Sphere dates remains unconfirmed.