‘Lord of the Rings’ Actor Christopher Lee Recording Metal Album at 90 Years Old

If you ever needed proof that the passion for metal knows no bounds, you need look no further than veteran actor Christopher Lee. The 90-year-old 'Lord of the Rings' star is marking the birthday milestone by recording his second heavy metal album.

Lee told BBC Radio 5's 'Up All Night' program, "I was first introduced to metal when I sang with a band called Rhapsody. But what I sang was not heavy metal. I sang with a tenor. Then I worked with Manowar as a narrator, I think it was in Germany, and again, that was not me singing metal. I became fascinated by this, cause in terms of the history of music, it's fairly recent really. And if it's properly done and you can understand the story and you can understand what the people are singing and you have the right bands and the right singers, I think it's rather exciting."

The actor admits that his first metal release, 'Charlegmagne: By The Swords and the Cross' was more symphonic in nature, but feels his new record is more in line with true metal. He says, "'Charlemagne: The Omens of Death' is 100 percent heavy metal. I've done my bits and pieces and they are heavy metal. I'm not screaming or anything like that, but it is definitely 100 percent heavy metal."

Lee's indulgence with the metal world has not gone unrecognized, as he received the Metal Hammer "Spirit of the Hammer" award in 2010 from Tony Iommi at the annual Golden Gods ceremony. He recalls, "It was a most amazing occasion for me, very exciting, and something I'd never had happen to me my whole career, my whole life, in terms of awards. I have received quite a few. But I was interviewed … by Tony Iommi, who founded Black Sabbath. And I hadn't heard them, but I made it a point [to]. I thought it was extraordinary."

In addition to playing Saruman the White in the Lord of the Rings films, Lee's credits include roles in the final two Star Wars films, the Man With the Golden Gun, Dracula, and most recently the Johnny Depp film Dark Shadows.