Cesare Bonizzi, the mild-mannered heavy-metal monk.

ROME., ITALY (ANS) -- A former missionary in the Ivory Coast, Cesare Bonizzi looks like the archetypal Capuchin monk. He has a round-face, is rather stout, with twinkling eyes and a long flowing white beard, and lives in a small friary in the Milan hinterland.

But beneath his brown robes beats a heart of metal -- Brother Cesare is the lead singer in a heavy metal band, which has just released its second album, according to a story posted to the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) website.

The 62-year-old monk's love affair with heavy metal began when he attended a Metallica concert some 15 years ago. "I was overwhelmed and amazed by the sheer energy of it," he says.

The BBC says hard rock and heavy metal have, over the years, been criticized as the work of the devil. It's a claim which Brother Cesare, also known as Brother Metal, says is nonsense.

He started playing and recording cassettes, firstly with "lighter" metal music, but gradually he realized that what really moved him was the hard core, the BBC story says.

The members of his band were at first skeptical at the idea of teaming up with a Capuchin monk, but their doubts soon evaporated.

"Five minutes after meeting Brother Cesare I decided to go ahead, because he manages to convey so much energy, that other musicians and youngsters often don't manage to express," lead guitarist, Cesare Zanotti, told Reuters.

The BBC story says that Brother Metal recently appeared in the Gods of Metal festival in Italy, along with giants such as Iron Maiden, Judas Priest and Slayer, playing to a crowd of leather-clad, hard-core metal fans.

"It was wonderful being there among all these young people," he told the Rome newspaper La Repubblica.

The monk said the only problem was that at one stage out slipped an expletive, because each time he appears, "Some people think that I am in fancy dress, they can't believe a robed monk is on the stage playing their music."

With his booming voice, Brother Metal belts out lyrics that are decidedly gritty, talking about real-life issues and not shying away from sex, drugs and alcohol, the BBC explained.

The BBC says he does touch on faith and religion, but is adamant that he is not seeking to draw people to Catholicism through his stage performances.

His second heavy metal album, "Misteri" (Mysteries) has just been released and in a sign of Brother Metal's eclecticism, the new CD draws inspiration from a group of women in southern Italy who sing about Mary, the mother of Jesus. A heavy metal version of that song is on the new CD.

Other songs talk about how alcohol warms the heart but excess drinking can damage the liver, and how important sex is to man, the BBC says.

Brother Cesare says he has never had any trouble with his superiors over his choice of musical career and would like to send his new album to the Pope. "He is a music lover and metal is music!" he said.

The BBC explains that while Brother Cesare always wears his traditional brown robe and sandals as a reminder that he has chosen a life of devotion to God, he is keen to distinguish established religion from faith, and from proselytizing.

"I do it to convert people to life, to understand life, to grab hold of life, to savor it and enjoy it. Full stop," he says.

** Michael Ireland, Chief Correspondent of ANS, is an international British freelance journalist who was formerly a reporter with a London newspaper and has been a frequent contributor to UCB Europe, a British Christian radio station. Michael's involvement with ASSIST News Service is a sponsored ministry department -- Michael Ireland Media Missionary (MIMM) -- of ACT International at: Artists in Christian Testimony (ACT) International.