Sir Christopher Lee releases heavy metal album

He has played Dracula, Frankenstein's monster and the evil wizard Saruman, but the actor Sir Christopher Lee releases his first heavy metal album, 'Charlemagne: The Omens of Death', recorded with Judas Priest's Richie Faulkner, on 27 May in time for his 91st birthday.

The record, his fourth album,  features track names such as 'Massacre of the Saxons', 'The Devil’s Advocate' and 'The Ultimate Sacrifice'.

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His previous album, 'Charlemagne: By the Sword and the Cross' featured symphonic metal music, but this is his first album to exclusively feature heavy metal.

“I’m not screaming or anything like that, but it is definitely heavy metal,” Sir Christopher said.

“The first 'Charlemagne' album was metal, of course, but what I sang was more symphonic. Now on the second one, 'The Omens Of Death', it is one hundred per cent heavy metal.”

Charlemagne ruled France and Italy and served as Holy Roman Emperor in the eighth century.

Sir Christopher said he had played quite a few parts in his career which have appeared in heavy metal songs, such as 'Wicker Man' by Iron Maiden and 'The Man with the Golden Gun' by Alice Cooper.
The album was arranged by Faulkner, the lead guitarist for heavy metal band Judas Priest.

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 “Some of the tracks didn’t have any music at all and were just Sir Christopher singing his melodies,” he said. “Most of the songs were already there, but they needed riffs, drum parts and musical parts that reflected what the guys wanted.”

Lee was given the Spirit of Metal prize at the 2010 Metal Hammer Golden God awards for By the Sword and the Cross.