Father Cesare Bonizzi, O.F.M. Cap. (born 15 March 1946), also known as Frate Cesare and mistakenly asFratello Metallo ("Brother Metal") – which was also the name of his band, is an Italian Capuchin friar, who was known as a heavy metal singer. Actually Fratello Metallo ("Brother Metal") is the name that Frate Cesare gave to Heavy Metal, not to himself.

Biography

Bonizzi was born in Offanengo, in the

Province of Cremona The Province of Cremona ( it, provincia di Cremona; Cremunés: ; Cremasco: ; Casalasco-Viadanese: ) is a province in the Lombardy region of Italy. Its capital city is Cremona. The province occupies the central section of Padana Plain, so the ...

, Italy. He entered the Capuchin Order in 1975, and subsequently carried out missionary work in the Ivory Coast. After returning to Italy he was

ordained Ordination is the process by which individuals are consecrated, that is, set apart and elevated from the laity class to the clergy, who are thus then authorized (usually by the denominational hierarchy composed of other clergy) to perform var ...

a priest in 1983. Since 1990 he has been interested in using music as a means of contemplation and spiritual devotion, and he has released numerous albums in various styles from

new age New Age is a range of spiritual or religious practices and beliefs which rapidly grew in Western society during the early 1970s. Its highly eclectic and unsystematic structure makes a precise definition difficult. Although many scholars consi ...

to rock. After seeing

Metallica Metallica is an American heavy metal band. The band was formed in 1981 in Los Angeles by vocalist/guitarist James Hetfield and drummer Lars Ulrich, and has been based in San Francisco for most of its career. The band's fast tempos, instru ...

in concert, however, he became passionate about heavy metal as a musical vehicle. According to him, "Metal is the most energetic, vital, deep and true musical language that I know." He currently lives in the convent of Musocco, a district of

Milan Milan ( , , Lombard language, Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the List of cities in Italy, second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 ...

. In late 2009, he announced that he would no longer perform, because "The devil has separated me from my managers, risked making me break up with my band colleagues and also risked making me break up with my fellow monks. He lifted me up to the point where I become a celebrity and now I want to kill him."

Music

Although Bonizzi's full transformation to heavy metal is only found on Fratello Metallo's 2008 release ''Misteri'', Bonizzi has recorded numerous albums in various musical genres. With his new style of music, which he calls "Metrock" as a combination of metal and rock, he was the opening act at 2008's

Gods of Metal Gods of Metal is the biggest Italian metal festival, held annually since 1997. It takes place in early summer, usually on the first or second weekend of June. It is most often held at venues in or near Milan, but took place in Bologna three tim ...

, Italy's largest heavy metal festival. Bonizzi performed in full Franciscan

habit A habit (or wont as a humorous and formal term) is a routine of behavior that is repeated regularly and tends to occur subconsciously.

Discography

* ''Droghe'' * ''Primi Passi'' * ''L'Eucredo'' * ''Il La Cristiano'' * ''Straordinariamente Ovvio'' * ''Maria Ed "Io"'' * ''Come Fiamma'' * ''Vie Crucis'' * ''Fede Ballare'' * ''Assisi Oggi'' * ''Misteri''

References

1946 births Clergy from the Province of Cremona Living people Capuchins Roman Catholic missionaries in Ivory Coast Italian Roman Catholic missionaries Franciscan missionaries Italian heavy metal singers Christian metal musicians 20th-century Italian Roman Catholic priests 21st-century Italian Roman Catholic priests Italian expatriates in Ivory Coast Musicians from the Province of Cremona {{Italy-musician-stub