Heavy Metal Monk Worships God, "God of Thunder"

Gregorian chanting, he's not: Behold, in the video above, 62-year-old Capuchin monk Cesare Bonizzi, a Rip Van Winkle-looking friar who — when he's not worshipping God — is worshipping the gods of heavy metal in his native Italy. We're pretty sure Fratello Metallo (or Brother Metal, as he's called in Italy) is only a monk in appearance, as his new album Mysteries features songs about sex, alcohol, tobacco, God and other debauchery you'd find on a Sepultura album. Bonizzi reportedly got the metal itch after seeing Metallica in concert 15 years ago (Why he was at the concert, we have no idea.) Since then, he's headlined metal festivals throughout Europe and has released 18 albums. Despite his day job, Brother Metal's music "isn't aimed at saving souls," but "converting people to live life to the fullest."

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Song Stories

“Smells Like Teen Spirit”

Nirvana | 1991

"Smells Like Teen Spirit," named after a brand of deodorant marketed to girls, was Kurt Cobain's attempt to "write the ultimate pop song," he said, using the soft-loud dynamic of his favorite band, the Pixies. Cobain "had that dichotomy of punk rage and alienation," the song’s producer, Butch Vig, told Rolling Stone, "but also this vulnerable pop sensibility. In 'Teen Spirit,' a lot of that vulnerability is in the tone of his voice." Sadly, by the time of Nirvana's last U.S. tour, in late '93, Cobain was tortured by the obligation to play "Teen Spirit" every night. "There are many other songs that I have written that are as good, if not better," he claimed.

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