William Shatner is boldly going where no man has gone before—this time with distortion turned all the way up.
The Star Trek icon has announced a new heavy metal album, marking his latest pivot in a career that has never followed a predictable script. Known to generations of sci-fi fans as the once and forever Captain Kirk, Shatner is now leaning fully into a genre built on intensity, theatrics, and volume.
According to Shatner, the project isn’t meant to be a novelty. “Metal has always been a place where imagination gets loud,” he said to Blabbermouth about the project. “This album is a gathering of forces—each artist bringing their fire, their precision, their chaos.”
He added that the goal was to bring together musicians who “have something to say.”
The album is expected to feature a wide range of collaborators, with Shatner personally selecting contributors from across the heavy music world. Among the names tied to his broader musical orbit are guitarists and innovators such as former Ozzy Osbourne guitarist Zakk Wylde, Deep Purple’s Ritchie Blackmore, Henry Rollins, and Chris Poland of Nuclear Messiah.
The project was partially sparked by Shatner’s involvement in Nuclear Messiah’s Black Flame, released on Cleopatra Records, where he contributed a spoken intro alongside Poland.
That experience, he said, opened the door to something bigger. “It wasn’t just a track—it was a doorway,” Shatner explained. “It made me want to go all the way in.”
Shatner also revealed that the album will feature interpretations of classic tracks by bands such as Black Sabbath, Judas Priest, and Iron Maiden, alongside original material developed with his team. The record is described as blending heavy guitar work with cinematic arrangements, built around his signature spoken-word delivery.
For longtime fans, the move is less surprising than it might seem. Shatner has been experimenting with music since the late 1960s, when he released The Transformed Man, a project that paired dramatic readings with popular songs.
Over the decades, he continued to revisit music through albums like Has Been and Seeking Major Tom.
He’s not the only Star Trek alum to explore music. The late Leonard Nimoy, who played Spock, recorded multiple albums in the late ’60s, including hits such as “The Ballad of Bilbo Baggins.”
The late Nichelle Nichols, known for her role as Uhura, released Down to Earth and later returned with Out of This World, and was a classically trained vocalist before her groundbreaking role.
Later Star Trek generations followed musical suit. Brent Spiner, who portrayed Data on The Next Generation, released a collection of pop standards, while Tim Russ (Voyager) built a multi-album music career. Avery Brooks (Deep Space Nine) also stepped into jazz, recording as a vocalist.