Heavy Metal: the final frontier. These are the voyages of actor William Shatner. His life-long mission: to explore strange new worlds; to seek out new music and new genres; to boldly go where he has never gone before.

William Shatner, famous for his role as Captain James T. Kirk in the Star Trek franchise, has announced his latest musical venture: a heavy metal album. The 94-year-old actor, author, and spoken word enthusiast announced the news across social media yesterday, stating, “the metal voyage begins this year.”

“Ladies, gentlemen, SWs fans…
I have explored space. 
I have explored time.
 Now… I explore distortion” he said.

“Yes. You read that correctly,” he goes on. “I am releasing a HEAVY METAL album. Thirty-five metal virtuosos. Thunderous guitars. Chaos with purpose.
 Covers of legends like Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden, and Judas Priest — and a few originals forged in the same cosmic fire. This project is, quite literally, a gathering of forces. Loud imagination. Honest intensity. Unapologetic exploration. At 94, one does not slow down. One turns the volume up. So prepare yourselves.
We are about to boldly headbang where no one has headbanged before. Stay tuned. The metal voyage begins this year.”

The project, set to be released by Cleopatra Records, features a plethora of heavy metal legends, including Zakk Wylde (former guitarist for Ozzy Osbourne and member of Black Label Society), Ritchie Blackmore (guitarist for Deep Purple), and Henry Rollins (singer for Black Flag), among others.

In a statement from Cleopatra Records, Shatner stated that the inspiration for this new creative direction stemmed from his involvement in the upcoming Nuclear Messiah album, Black Flame. “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.”

Additional album details are still unknown, but, according to Cleopatra Records, are expected to be released soon.

Shatner is no stranger to the music industry– he released his first spoken word album, The Transformed Man, in 1968, reciting dramatic readings from literary classics such as William Shakespeare’s Hamlet and Edmond Rostand’s Cyrano de Bergerac. He subsequently had a cult-classic hit with his 1978 spoken-word rendition of Elton John’s Rocket Man, which was later recorded and released in 2011, and he released a Christmas album in 2018 titled, Shatner Claus. His latest record, Where Will The Animals Sleep? Songs For Kids And Other Living Things, was released in 2024.