Oscar Isaac Reveals His Favorite Metal Album: 'Gregorian Chants'
The acclaimed actor opens up about his love for Sleep's epic hour-long metal masterpiece Dopesmoker, comparing the heavy sound to religious music while discussing his musical background.
Life really isn't fair when it comes to distributing talent. You should get to choose: sing beautifully, become a famous actor, or look amazing. Pick one. That would make things easier for everyone else. Instead we get situations like Stranger Things star Joe Keery doubling as a major pop sensation, or Oscar Isaac mastering both guitar and vocals alongside his acting career.
Anyone who watched the Coen brothers' stunning Inside Llewyn Davis from 2013 knows exactly how talented Isaac is. Not just his acting performance, but his live singing and acoustic guitar work throughout the film. This marked the first time the Guatemala-born performer could showcase his musical roots publicly.
From Ska-Punk to Hollywood Stardom
Isaac actually started his creative journey in a high school band covering Nirvana songs. After graduation, he joined a Christian ska-punk group that eventually opened for Green Day. But acting called to him instead. Following his studies at New York's prestigious Juilliard School, he landed major theater roles while still performing at local bars and clubs.
His movie career took off quickly. Small thriller parts led to a memorable supporting role opposite Russell Crowe in 2010's Robin Hood. More supporting work followed in films like Ryan Gosling's Drive and The Bourne Legacy with Matt Damon.
The Performance That Changed Everything
Inside Llewyn Davis proved Isaac could anchor an entire film. The movie earned two Oscar nominations, and Isaac received a Golden Globe nomination plus several industry awards. Since then, he's become A-list material, appearing in massive franchises like Star Wars, X-Men, Dune and Marvel's Moon Knight. He also starred in major standalone films including Guillermo del Toro's recent Frankenstein.
Music still matters to him though. His taste runs surprisingly heavy, as he revealed when discussing Sleep's marathon album Dopesmoker with NME.
Metal Meets Sacred Music
The 2003 release consists of one grinding, hour-long track. Isaac described his connection to the experimental work: "This stoner metal album is actually just one epic, grinding track. I'll listen to this when I really just want to wallow, man. I call it 'sludge metal' or 'metal meets Gregorian chants.' It's real head music, if you know what I mean."
Sleep was thrilled enough to repost Isaac's comments on their Facebook page. Makes sense, considering he's a legitimate Hollywood star praising their extremely niche sound.
Isaac has several major projects coming up. Another del Toro collaboration called Fury pairs him with criminals committing murders during their travels. He'll appear opposite Elizabeth Olsen in the retro vampire film Flesh of the Gods. Plus he's set to play Snake in a Metal Gear Solid video game adaptation.