Christopher Lee Is Still Making Heavy-Metal Christmas Songs

Celebrated nonagenarian actor Christopher Lee, who has spent much of his adult life portraying a force of darkness in some manner or other, has released a new heavy metal-styled Christmas EP for the third year running.

The title track is a take on Hark! The Herald Angels Sing called Darkest Carols, Faithful Sing, and the EP can be yours to own via iTunes, Amazon or Google Music — but you can hear sections of Lee's 2012, '13 and newest Christmas releases via the video below. Lee is joined once more by Guatamalan guitar prodigy Hedras Ramos; the track also features Prog Rock Orchestra's Brook Hansen and mononymous artist Ziv.

Ninety-two-year-old Lee — best known, depending on your interests, as Dracula, 007 villain Scaramanga, Lord Of The Rings/The Hobbit evil wizard Saruman or Star Wars prequel nasty Count Dooku — has been releasing music since the mid-'80s, first revealing his metal leanings as a guest on Rhapsody's 2005 single The Magic Of The Wizard's Dream, but it wasn't until 2010's Charlemagne: By The Sword And The Cross and follow-up record Charlemagne: The Omens Of Death that Lee would take centre stage as a metal force to be reckoned with; his performance on By The Sword And The Cross was awarded with the Spirit Of Metal award at that year's Metal Hammer Golden Gods ceremony, presented to the actor by the legendary Tony Iommi.

The release of 2013's A Heavy Metal Christmas Too saw Lee become the oldest living performer to ever enter the music charts — his single Jingle Hell entered the Billboard Hot 100 at #22 — so let's see if this year's effort can break his own record.