What do you get when a Star Trek legend has time, money, and a lot of passion for new creative projects? You get the iconic William Shatner, who, at 94, seems to have no intention of slowing down. Now, Shatner reveals that he'll be delving back into music and giving heavy metal a try! The iconic actor took to his Instagram account (below) to pose with a guitar, looking more like Claude Akins than Dee Snider, really. Shatner wrote:
"Ladies, gentlemen, SWs fans…😝 I have explored space. I have explored time. Now… I explore distortion. Yes. You read that correctly. 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."
Shatner continued by writing:
"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."
While some people in the past had trouble with Shatner's larger-than-life ego, you certainly can't deny his passion for ongoing creativity. Star Trek: The Original Series began the franchise's musical legacy nearly 60 years ago. Who can forget Leonard Nimoy Presents Mr. Spock's Music From Outer Space (1967) and Two Sides of Leonard Nimoy (1968) Dot Records? Heck, Nichelle Nichols even sang on TOS a few times.
Shatner fans will tell you that his releasing a heavy metal album out of nowhere is just another day for the Canadian-born actor, who's already released over two dozen albums in the past.
A delve into a new music genre is Shatner's creativity at play, and as someone halfway through their mid-50s, who still writes Star Trek fanfiction and draws the characters (or gives it their best try), I hope I have Shatner's creative drive and energy when I'm 94.
Are you interested in this upcoming headbanger album from William Shatner? Surely, his heavy metal music will be better than his Cyrano/Tambourine Man experiment, right? Share your thoughts and comments with us on the Redshirts Always Die Facebook and X pages.