Posted on 02/20/2026 12:18:33 PM PST by nickcarraway
The ‘Star Trek’ alum called the album a ‘gathering of forces.’
Are you ready to join Captain Kirk—aka William Shatner—to boldly headbang where no one has headbanged before?
Shatner, 94, announced on Feb. 19 that he will soon release a heavy metal album on Cleopatra Records. The project, whose title or release date hasn’t been revealed, will pair the Star Trek alum with 35 handpicked metal icons.
“Metal has always been a place where imagination gets loud,” said Shatner in a statement. “This album is a gathering of forces—each artist bringing their fire, their precision, their chaos. I chose them because they have something to say, and because metal demands honesty.”
Shatner says he was inspired to tackle this after working with Nuclear Messiah, a metal supergroup led by former Megadeth guitarist Chris Poland. Shatner recorded a spoken-word intro for their upcoming album, Black Flame. The experience was transcendent for the sci-fi icon.
“When Nuclear Messiah came to life, something clicked,” he said. “It wasn’t just a track—it was a doorway. It made me want to go all the way in, bring in the best metal players I could find, and create something fearless.”
The album will feature covers of Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden and Judas Priest songs, alongside a few originals. “I’ve spent a lifetime exploring in both reality and fiction,” Shatner said. “Now I am stepping out into the unknown once again with my new project in heavy metal… The whole project is destined for this year. I hope you will join me in the exploration.”
Though William Shatner will forever be celebrated as one of television’s greatest actors, he has also a lengthy career as a recording artist. He released his first spoken-word album, The Transformed Man, in 1968.
However, when it comes to music, he’s best known for his performance of Elton John’s “Rocket Man” at the 1978 Saturn Awards. While wearing a ruffled tuxedo shirt and bow tie, Shatner seemingly smoked a cigarette while dramatically reciting the song’s lyrics. Through late-70s television technology, multiple Shatners joined in for a performance that was high art and pure camp.
His other notable releases have been 2004’s Has Been, which featured Henry Rollins, Ben Folds, Adrian Belew, Aimee Mann and Joe Jackson. Shatner’s cover of Pulp’s “Common People” was an early 2000s radio oddity.
In 2011, Shatner released Seeking Major Tom, an album that mixed rock and spoken word. It also featured performances by Zakk Wydle, Sheryl Crow, Alan Parsons, Peter Frampton, Bootsy Collins, Brad Paisley, and Ritchie Blackmore.
Fascinating. Never imagined that. Thanks for the insight.
Just makes me love him more.
He kept his dog fed when he had nothing.
Living that life myself now
Not familiar with ironside. John candy is a fav of mine (i think hes cznadian?) Was just goingmthrough a ,ist of canadian actors, didnt realize there were so many of them. This list is for old time actors, 1900’s- 1960. I didnt realizd glen ford was cznadian.
https://www.imdb.com/list/ls064664051/
Ironside was the bad guy in everything.
Scanners
Total Recall
Highlander 2: The Quickening
Also in Starship Troopers, the TV series V, Top Gun, and loads of others.
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000461/
I remember Glenn Ford on Carson around the time the first Superman movie came out in ‘79. He told a story about how his Father wouldn’t allow him to own a car until he could take one apart and put it back together again.
Of course back then, one could probably do that with a hammer and a pair of pliers on those old vehicles...
Mr. tambourine MAN... Man
😂😂😁
My boyhood hero.
Thanks for the link. Good story about ford. Yep cars were a lot easier back then to work on. Noe ya gotts be a nasa scientist to work on v3hicles lol
Noe ya gotts be a nasa scientist to work on v3hicles lol
And it’s a good way to get your warranty voided.
Another reason I’m trying to keep my 1999 GMC Suburban running as long as possible.
Yep. Cpurxe by the time a car needs work, they are usually past warranty these days. Some go quite a lo g time before need8ng serious work. Thst is one i provement over older vehicles, but wow have they become complicated.
I had an old suburban that was a beast as well. 2 wheel drive, but took it everywhere (we live in the sticks znd xrive a lot of dirt paths into ponds, up mountains etc.) Took it on road trip across 5he us, ended up in 3 car accident in utah, totalled it, bent the frame unfortunately. Hit the steering wheel and bent it. Lucky to have survived it. Had i been in a smaller vehicle things mighta not turned out so well.

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