Misteri

I heard about this album through an interview on an Italian news program and it really struck me as interesting so I thought I'd give it a listen. Frontman Friar Cesare Bonizzi is a real Capuchin monk from Milan, to whom "Metal is the most energetic, vital, deep and true musical language that I know." Having released several albums previously, Misteri is his first (and last) venture into the world of heavy metal. Without knowing what to expect, I found it to be pretty impressive.

Musically, the album is not overly technical, nor extremely heavy, but it does groove well. The songs are competently written, and the lyrics are interesting if somewhat preachy. But he is a monk, after all. Topics range from faith and sin to alcohol and drugs and lust, and they're all sung in Italian. And speaking of singing, his gravelly voice goes well with the music and lyrical content. Although there are a few spoken-word parts in the album, he does sing on most of the tracks, and it sounds good. Another thing he does is some sort of shriek, I suppose you could call it. It's pretty strange to hear a 62-year-old monk pull this stuff off but he can sure hold his own.

There are 11 tracks on this album. They're all mid-to-fast-paced straightforward heavy metal with a few exceptions, but when the album slows down it's not really detracting from much. Friar Cesare is the standout feature of this band, and without him the band is nothing extraordinary. Worth a listen if you're interested in hearing what this monk can do, and if you're into pretty straightforward heavy metal.

Overall, without Friar Cesare this album might be something you could just skip over without missing much, but I think his presence on this album takes it just above that point. I didn't know what to expect, but I was ultimately pleased with the result. Fratello Metallo will not be releasing anymore albums, so I'd say Misteri is at least worth a spin or two.

Give it a listen. You might like what you hear.