William Shatner Announces Plans To Release A Metal Album Featuring 35 Handpicked Musicians

William Shatner will release an album featuring “35 handpicked metal icons” later this year via Cleopatra Records. The 94-year-old Star Trek actor plans to cover Black Sabbath, Judas Priest, and Iron Maiden alongside original material written by his collaborators. The project began after Shatner recorded a spoken-word intro for metal supergroup Nuclear Messiah, led by former Megadeth guitarist Chris Poland. “When Nuclear Messiah came to life, something clicked,” Shatner 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.” Album details including title, tracklist and release date will be announced soon. “I’ve spent a lifetime exploring in both reality and fiction,” Shatner added. “Now I am stepping out into the unknown once again with my new project in heavy metal.”