A heavy metal singing Italian monk has announced his retirement.

Cesare Bonizzi - who sang for the band Fratello Metallo (Metal Brother) - blamed Satan for making him too successful, forcing him into quitting singing.

He said in a farewell video: "The devil has separated me from my managers, risked making me break up with my band colleagues and also risked making me break up with my fellow monks.

"He lifted me up to the point where I become a celebrity and now I want to kill him."

As a symbol of giving up his hobby, a band member shaves Cesare's long mane of white hair off.

Cesare said he fell in love with heavy metal at a Metallica concert 15 years ago, and added that because he had been forced to stop rocking it didn't mean metal itself couldn't be a positive musical force.