Friar meets Heavy Metal, Knight of Malta meets Metal Head

Consider this your end-of-the week news-of-the-strange post. And its a double header!

First up, the heavy metal-loving capuchin friar from Milan, Italy:

The story behind the "music" [ph/t: Christopher Blosser]:

Brother Cesare Bonizzi is a Capuchin friar in Milan who rocks out. He got into heavy metal 15 years ago at a… Metallica concert!

“I was overwhelmed and amazed by the sheer energy of it” he tells the BBC.
He began fronting a metal band, howling above the din, his white beard and friar’s hood swaying to the heavy beat.

The heavy metal monk says he would like to send his new CD to a certain lover of Mozart who lives in Rome.

“He is a music lover and metal is music!” Bonizzi says. (Blogging Religiously)

And before you regain your sense of propriety, the "Metalhead bassist at night, Sovereign Knight of Malta by day" which is documented on Blabbermouth.net [ph/t: AmP reader Paul]:

"As part of the official delegation of the "Sovereign Order of Saint John of Jerusalem, Knights of Malta, Federation of Autonomous Priories", MANOWAR bassist Joey DeMaio presented an Award of Merit on Sunday, July 20 in Timisoara Transylvania), Romania to world-famous Spanish tenor José Carreras hailing his artistic career achievements and lifetime philanthropic works. "

[Here's a better photo of him - sure looks like a metal head to me...]

It's my sincere hope that you don't witness anything stranger today than this posting.