Milan: 

Rock star: Cesare Bonizzi

At first glance, Cesare Bonizzi looks like the archetypal Capuchin monk — round-faced, stout, with twinkling eyes and a long flowing white beard. But beneath his robes beats a heart of metal.

Brother Cesare is the lead singer in a heavy metal band which has just released its second album.

The 62-year-old monk's love affair with heavy metal began when he attended a Metallica concert some 15 years ago. "I was overwhelmed and amazed by the sheer energy of it," he says.

With a booming voice, Brother Cesare belts out lyrics that are decidedly gritty, talking about real-life issues and not shying away from sex, drugs and alcohol.

He does touch on faith and religion, but is adamant that he is not seeking to draw people to Catholicism through his stage performances.

His second heavy metal album, Misteri (Mysteries) has just been released. Songs in the album talk about how alcohol warms the heart, but excess drinking can damage the liver, and how important sex is to man.