Christopher Lee was known for his distinctive voice and penchant for playing villains, but there was much more to him than Dracula or Saruman. For example, he was also really into heavy metal.
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On May 27, 2012, his 90th birthday, Lee announced his newest heavy metal single, “Let Legend Mark Me As The King”. His fourth album, Charlemagne: The Omens Of Death, was released on the same day in 2013.
The Omens Of Death was the sequel to his first metal album, Charlemagne: By The Sword And The Cross. That album was more symphonic in its arrangement, but the new single marked Lee’s crossover into true heavy metal. The Omens Of Death was even arranged by Judas Priest’s Richie Faulkner.
Christopher Lee was the oldest heavy metal musician in history. As a classically trained singer, he didn’t go fully into metal until later in his life. His work with various bands started with him singing in his strong operatic bass. Only later did he move on to metal’s distinct vocal style.
Christopher Lee Always Had a Love for the Storytelling of Heavy Metal
“I was first introduced to metal when I sang with a [band] called Rhapsody,” Lee told BBC Radio in 2012. “But what I sang was not heavy metal; I sang with a tenor. Then I worked with Manowar as a narrator, I think it was in Germany, and again, that was not me singing metal.”
“I became rather fascinated by this, ’cause in terms of [the] history of music, it’s fairly recent, really,” he continued. “And if it’s properly done and you can understand the story and you can understand what the people are singing and you have the right bands and the right singers, I think it’s rather exciting.”
That excitement carried over when he started on his own work. In December 2012, Lee released heavy metal versions of classic Christmas songs. He recorded renditions of “Little Drummer Boy” and “Silent Night” as part of A Heavy Metal Christmas.
While Christopher Lee is widely remembered for his prolific film contributions, his work in heavy metal is also worth noting. It’s not every day that a 90-year-old man can absolutely shred a heavy metal vocal. After all this time, Christopher Lee remains one of a kind.
Photo by Mike Marsland/WireImage
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