Written By Lucien Drake
William Shatner Metal Album
William Shatner is fucking doing what?Yes. You heard that correctly.
William Shatner, Captain Kirk himself, is making a heavy metal album. At 95.
And because apparently reality has decided subtlety is overrated, the record is called What the F Is Heavy Metal?
Shatner recently made his live metal debut in Chicago with his band *THE UCKERS, which is somehow even funnier because nobody on Earth is fooled by that asterisk.
First at Park West and then at Riot Fest, where he tore into covers of Ozzy Osbourne’s “Crazy Train,” Motörhead’s “Ace of Spades,” and Metallica’s “Enter Sandman,” alongside original material from the forthcoming album.
The lineup includes Marcus Nand, Britt Lightning, Phil Soussan, and Fred Aching.
And this is real, not some fever dream from the metal internet. The guest list is absurdly legitimate. Tony Iommi, Brian May, Rob Halford, Dave Lombardo, John Moyer, Zakk Wylde, Henry Rollins and others have all been linked to the project. Iommi has since confirmed that his contribution is more than a name floating around the rumor mill.
UPDATE, OCTOBER 28: Tony Iommi Has Entered the Shatnerverse
We knew Black Sabbath’s Tony Iommi was connected to William Shatner’s metal experiment. Now the man responsible for some of heavy metal’s most recognizable riffs has explained what he actually did on the record. And no, this isn’t just Captain Kirk borrowing a legendary name for the credits.
Speaking on BBC Breakfast, Iommi said Shatner sent him an idea for a track, and the guitarist liked it enough to build a riff around it. His initial reaction to the invitation? Understandable disbelief. After hearing the material, however, Iommi found something worth working with. He also praised Shatner’s lyrics for addressing what’s happening in the world today, and acknowledged the actor’s distinctly spoken delivery.
That’s the part that makes this stranger and more interesting than the obvious novelty headline. Shatner isn’t suddenly trying to impersonate Rob Halford. He’s bringing his own peculiar voice into a genre built on conviction, while musicians who helped define heavy music give the material actual muscle. Whether it all comes together on record remains to be heard. But Iommi didn’t merely show up for a photograph. He wrote a riff and developed the track.
Iommi said he wasn’t certain of the release date, suggesting late 2026 or early 2027. Until there’s an official announcement, consider that a window rather than a date carved into the hull of the Enterprise.
Source: Tony Iommi’s comments on BBC Breakfast, reported by Blabbermouth, October 24, 2026.
The whole thing reportedly started when Cleopatra Records president Brian Perera suggested Shatner make a metal album. Shatner’s response became the title.
What the fuck is heavy metal? Honestly, that may be the most metal possible way to begin a metal record.
And Shatner is not pretending he grew up worshipping Sabbath bootlegs in somebody’s basement. He has openly admitted he came into this knowing very little about metal.
Instead, he approached it through emotion, intensity and curiosity, which is probably more interesting than watching another celebrity cosplay as a lifelong headbanger.
The record currently has no exact release date, although Shatner said at Riot Fest that it is expected this winter through Cleopatra Records.
This whole William Shatner metal album project is gloriously unserious on the surface while involving very serious musicians underneath.
Shatner also recently turned up on Entertainment Tonight with THE *UCKERS in tow, talking about the band’s first two live appearances and the forthcoming album. Because apparently one major new project at 95 is insufficient, he also teased another documentary he’s preparing to make.
At an age when most people would consider getting out of a recliner a respectable afternoon accomplishment, Shatner has apparently decided to front a metal band.
Of course he has. He already went to space. Apparently distortion was next.
About The Author:
Lucien Drake is a writer and archivist at Metal Lair, contributing across features, essays, cultural commentary, and long-form series including Deep Cuts, Road Riffs and editorial projects exploring music, memory, and resistance.
Known for treating heavy music as living history rather than nostalgia, Drake focuses on influence over canon, context over hype, and the stories that survive outside official timelines.
Read More From Lucien Drake:
The Underground Never Needed Your Approval – Only the Real Ones Survived
Before Algorithms Hunting Metal Was Bloodsport
The Metal Sex Playlist: Bang Your Head… and Each Other
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