Christmas has come early for Metallica fans this year. James Hetfield has dropped a reading of ‘Twas The Night Before Christmas’ on the band's YouTube page, and it’s every bit as metal - and strangely calming - as you’d expect.  

Papa Het, long seen as a father figure to rock fans, delivers four minutes of classic lines with his signature gravelly voice. 

“Now Dasher! Now Dancer! Now Prancer and Vixen!” and “his cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry” somehow feel both menacing and comforting at the same time. 

The video pairs the narration with a cartoon fireplace and stockings for James, Lars, Kirk, and Robert, making it feel like a proper Metallica family Christmas. 

Fans in the comments definitely enjoyed the rendition of the Christmas classic. 

Some got creative and gave the band some suggestions for a Metallica x Christmas album: “For whom the jingle bell tolls”, “Enter Santaman”, and “Master of Presents 🎁”. 

“James even speaks in heavy metal,” one fan remarked. 

“This is the kind of content I pay WiFi for,” said another. 

And one said what we were all thinking: “I'm not sure what's weirder, James narrating this, or that it's actually pretty good.” 

If your festive playlist needs a bit of grit this year, Papa Het has you covered.