Can’t say we saw this coming, but actor and experimental vocalist William Shatner has just announced an upcoming, to-be-detailed album uniting him with iconic heavy luminaries Zakk Wylde, Rainbow/Deep Purple guitarist Richie Blackmore and former Black Flag vocalist Henry Rollins.
Details have yet to be revealed in full, but Cleopatra Records confirmed today (February 19th) that the Shatman cometh in 2026 with an album that features Black Sabbath, Judas Priest and Iron Maiden covers, as well as a clutch of originals.
While the label has partnered with the Star Trek actor for a number of album releases in the past — most recently on 2024’s Where Will the Animals Sleep? kids album — this will apparently be the first to fully hoist Shatner’s famous sprechgesang delivery into the metal realm.
“Metal has always been a place where imagination gets loud,” Shatner explained in a statement. “This album is a gathering of forces—each artist bringing their fire, their precision, their chaos. I chose them because they have something to say, and because metal demands honesty.”
While neither a tracklisting or release date have been offered up, the as-yet-unnamed project is said to deliver “sharp turns, dark humor, raw emotion, and moments of unexpected beauty.” It also apparently features contributions from Tangerine Dream’s Edgar Froese and late MC5 guitarist Wayne Kramer, and will feature “35 hand-picked metal icons” in total.
Interestingly, this isn’t the only metal-edged Shatner project for Cleopatra this year. This April they release an album from former Megadeth shredder Chris Poland’s Nuclear Messiah. Their Black Flame has Shatner on opening track “The Prophet of Fallout,” and likewise features Death’s Steve Di Giorgio, former Priest wailer Tim “Ripper” Owens, ex-Skid Row vocalist Sebastian Bach, Thor, Yes’ Rick Wakeman and many more.
“When Nuclear Messiah came to life, something clicked,” Shatner explained of the collab that led him towards his own metal LP. “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.”
More details around Shatner’s metal album are impending. Nuclear Messiah’s Black Flame is out April 24th, and you can find out more about the project here.
Shatner, of course, had flirted with heavy music in the past. Back in 2022, he delivered a surreal, cackle-heavy cover of Rob Zombie’s “Great American Nightmare”