What does an actor known for iconic roles in the Lord of the Rings and Hobbit films do when he hits 92? Well, if that actor is Sir Christopher Lee, he keeps on rockin’ by turning out a heavy metal holiday track just in time for Christmas.
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Lee’s career has been prolific to say the least — his starring roles, nearly 300 of them, range from the bloodsucking title character in the Dracula franchise to Count Dooku in the Star Wars prequel trilogy and, yes, Saruman the White in Peter Jackson’s stunning adaptations of the Tolkien classics.
But here’s a fun fact for you: Christopher Lee also loves music. And, more specifically, heavy metal music.
Just in time for the holidays, the veteran actor has released “Darkest Carols, Faithful Sing” — a portentous take on the nostalgic Christmas tune, “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing.”
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This isn’t the self-proclaimed metalhead’s first foray into the head-banging musical arena, either. Last year, his single, “Jingle Hell,” made it all the way to No. 18 on the Billboard charts, earning him two distinctive honors: becoming the oldest heavy metal musician and becoming the oldest musician ever to chart on Billboard.
“It’s light-hearted, joyful and fun,” Lee said of his new track. “It’s a band singing on how metal should be played, the effect it has on the band and its listeners.”
And while playful may not be the first word that comes to mind when the ominous-sounding single cues up, the music is oddly joyful.
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Perhaps it’s the celebratory sentiment behind the track — Lee explains of his motivation for rocking out at the ripe-old age of 92, “At my age, the most important thing for me is to keep active by doing things that I truly enjoy. I do not know how long I am going to be around, so every day is a celebration and I want to share it with my fans.”
Now, that’s a sentiment we can all bang our heads in support of.
Get into the holiday spirit with Sir Christopher by listening to the track below!
www.youtube.com/embed/-TnFIDKyX50
Love it? You can purchase the single, plus an extended version and instrumental version, on iTunes or at Amazon.
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