William Shatner says his heavy metal record is done, or close to it. In a new Fox News interview reported by Blabbermouth on Oct. 17, the 95-year-old Star Trek icon said the William Shatner heavy metal album, What The F Is Heavy Metal?, “has been laid down,” with a title-track single due “in the wintertime.” Cleopatra Records plans to release it, tentatively in 2027.
Where the William Shatner Heavy Metal Album Stands
According to Blabbermouth’s transcript, Shatner said every track, including his scratch vocal, is recorded. “In effect, the album has been made,” he said. He plans to go back in “in a week or two” to hear everything and decide whether his performance “needs to be adjusted to their tempo and the meaning of the heavy metal.”
For the William Shatner heavy metal album, Shatner said, the label suggested six originals and six covers. He and longtime writing partner Rob Sharenow wrote the six originals. He also called it “a major thing in heavy metal.” No release date or tracklist has been announced, and “tentatively 2027” is the only timing so far.
The Guest List, Per Shatner
The production team is led by Adam Hamilton (L.A. Guns, Brian Jonestown Massacre) and Cleopatra president Brian Perera, with additional production from Derek Hughes (Nuclear Messiah), Marcus Nand and Die Krupps’ Jurgen Engler. Blabbermouth lists these guests on the William Shatner heavy metal album:
- Brian May (Queen)
- Rob Halford (Judas Priest)
- John Moyer (Disturbed)
- Dave Lombardo (Slayer)
For the William Shatner heavy metal album as a whole, Shatner put the total at about 50 musicians, adding “I’m told,” and said they “all volunteered.” The full list hasn’t been published, and none of the named guests has commented on their part in the sources SDMETAL checked. Which songs they play on is also unknown.
Halford’s presence is a fun link for Priest fans. Our Invincible Shield review covers his most recent work with Priest.
Riot Fest “Proved” It to Him
Songs from the William Shatner heavy metal album were first played live by Shatner and his new band, The *Uckers, at Riot Fest in Chicago’s Douglass Park on Sept. 20. They played six songs: three originals and three covers, Metallica’s “Enter Sandman,” Ozzy Osbourne’s “Crazy Train” and Motorhead’s “Ace Of Spades.” Shatner called the set “a huge success” and said it “proved to me the viability” of the record.
The *Uckers, according to Blabbermouth, are:
- Marcus Nand – guitar, musical director
- Phil Soussan – bass
- Britt Lightning (Vixen) – guitar
- Fred Aching (Kings of Thrash, Dead Groove) – drums
Blabbermouth names four players. Shatner said “five” musicians were put together for him. SDMETAL is listing only the four that were named.
Shatner also said he “reinterpreted” the covers as an actor would, reading “Enter Sandman” as a song sung by a sinister figure who wants to give a child bad dreams. Metallica fans can judge that for themselves. The real thing is coming to Snapdragon Stadium on May 13, 2027.
The Title, Explained
Shatner has told the story more than once. When Cleopatra suggested a heavy metal album, his reply, minus the expletive, became the title. He told The Moynihan Report that hearing Guns N’ Roses’ “Patience” led to an original called “Im patience.” He said he approached the project knowing “nothing” and focused on “passionate emotions.”
The Coachella Question
In July, Shatner told CNN’s Elex Michaelson he would play a half-hour set at a festival “in the desert” in spring 2027. Blabbermouth says Michaelson confirmed it was Coachella. However, Coachella has not released its 2027 lineup, so treat that as unconfirmed until it does. If it happens, it would be the second major festival set for the William Shatner heavy metal album project after Riot Fest. No other live dates for The *Uckers have been announced.
Shatner has made records since 1968, working with Ben Folds, Brad Paisley and Iggy Pop, but this is his first heavy metal album. He was diagnosed with stage 4 melanoma in 2023 and, per Blabbermouth, is now cancer-free after two years of treatment.
Whether the William Shatner heavy metal album turns out to be a curiosity or a cult favorite, the first single is due this winter. Fans of famous people covering classics can also catch the Ozzy tribute on screen when Back to the Beginning hits theaters.
SDMETAL