Phasers set to shred: William Shatner releasing a metal album featuring Henry Rollins, Zakk Wylde

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William Shatner is about to boldly go straight into the mosh pit.

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William Shatner is about to boldly go straight into the mosh pit.

The 94-year-old Canadian actor announced Thursday an upcoming metal album that will feature 35 of heavy music’s biggest names, including former Black Flag vocalist Henry Rollins and longtime Ozzy Osbourne guitarist Zakk Wylde.

According to a release, the project will contain covers of songs by Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden and Judas Priest, as well as original songs written by the “Star Trek” icon’s team.

Actor William Shatner talks with fans during a meet and greet session at Comiccon in Montreal, Sunday, July 6, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes
Actor William Shatner talks with fans during a meet and greet session at Comiccon in Montreal, Sunday, July 6, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes

Shatner said in a statement the project was sparked by his involvement in metal group Nuclear Messiah’s upcoming album “Black Flame,” where he voiced an intro piece created with ex-Megadeth guitarist Chris Poland.

The experience inspired the actor to gather the best metal players he could find and “create something fearless.”

The album is slated to be released later this year and showcase “Shatner’s signature vocal intensity,” with more details coming soon.

“I’ve spent a lifetime exploring in both reality and fiction,” said Shatner. “Now I am stepping out into the unknown once again with my new project in heavy metal.”

Shatner has a long history in music, dating back to his 1968 debut album, “The Transformed Man,” which featured him reciting dramatic spoken monologues over cover versions of pop songs.

His latest musical output came in 2024 with “So Fragile, So Blue,” a live spoken-word orchestral recording created with the National Symphony Orchestra, Ben Folds and Steven Reineke.

Shatner told The Canadian Press in 2024 that he was open to collaborating musically with “everybody.”

“I’d like to work with musical people in with what I can do, which is not musical necessarily. It’s musical, but not in the traditional way,” he said.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 19, 2026.

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