Star Trek legend William Shatner is beaming up the biggest names in rock music for a huge all-star live concert to celebrate his upcoming heavy metal album. The 95-year-old actor turned singer has been working on the metal project for the past year, featuring spoken-word interpretations of iconic metal tracks and original songs with talent like Zakk Wylde and Dave Lombardo.
Immersive Live Experience
Now the man who played Captain Kirk on screen is so thrilled with the results that he wants to create an immersive live experience to celebrate the release, featuring cinematic visuals, legendary performers, and the icon himself. Shatner’s team revealed: “Having assembled one of the most ambitious gatherings of heavy metal royalty ever gathered for a single recording project, William Shatner is now exploring the possibility of taking his acclaimed Heavy Metal album to the stage for a live event unlike anything audiences have seen before.”
However, this is no ordinary concert experience, as Shatner plans to boldly go where no other musician has gone before. The show promises to be “part concert, part theatrical experience, and part celebration of heavy metal’s enduring power and legacy.” The proposed production would transform Shatner’s star-studded recording project into an immersive live spectacle combining legendary musicians, cinematic visuals, storytelling, and "the larger-than-life charisma that has made Shatner a global icon for more than six decades."
All-Star Lineup
Members of Black Sabbath, Motörhead, Megadeth, and Slayer all appear on the new album and are also expected to partake in the live project. So far, famous players helping Shatner out include Dave Lombardo (Slayer, Misfits), Chris Adler (Megadeth), Vinny Appice (Black Sabbath), Simon Wright (AC/DC, UFO), and many more. Shatner also revealed the participation of Mikkey Dee, the legendary Motörhead drummer who plays on Shatner's version of the Judas Priest classic, "Living After Midnight."
Shatner said: "I needed pounding beats to make the music feel the way I feel it. The drums drive the emotion. They create the urgency, the excitement, the danger. Heavy metal should hit you in the chest and move your soul at the same time."
Shatner's Musical Journey
William Shatner is no stranger to music, having released 11 studio albums since his 1968 debut, The Transformed Man. Known for his dramatic spoken-word covers and original conceptual pieces, he has tried his hand at country, blues, and even a Christmas album. His new heavy metal project marks a bold new direction, reconnecting him with what he describes as "something shattering, youthful and alive" – the visceral thrill of heavy metal's golden era.
