“At 94 one does not slow down, one turns the volume up”: Star Trek legend William Shatner announces metal album
Legendary Canadian actor William Shatner – best known for portraying Captain James T. Kirk in the Star Trek franchise – has announced plans to release a heavy metal album this year.
The 94-year-old actor says a star-studded cast of 35 metal legends will appear on the album. At the time of writing, we’re not entirely sure who’ll be lucky enough to be part of that roster, but according to Metal Hammer, Shatner’s longtime friend Zakk Wylde will be heavily involved, as well as Henry Rollins and Ritchie Blackmore.
READ MORE: Nile Rodgers reveals how a last-minute change to Shrek 2 made him “a fortune”
William Shatner has enjoyed an enduring friendship with Black Label Society frontman and Ozzy Osbourne guitarist Zakk Wylde for many years. The pair teamed up on a collaborative spoken word record, Seeking Major Tom, in 2011, and sat alongside Slipknot’s Corey Taylor and Sharon Osbourne to take part in a televised roast of Wylde.
It’s said that a large source of inspiration for the new metal album was both a guitar Zakk Wylde personally gifted Shatner, and Shatner’s recent collaboration with former Megadeth guitarist Chris Poland, which saw him deliver a spoken word intro to a song on Nuclear Messiah’s new album, Black Flame.
“When Nuclear Messiah came to life, something clicked,” says Shatner in a statement shared with Guitar World. “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.”
In a social media post announcing the project, Shatner says: “I have explored space. I have explored time. Now, I explore distortion. Yes. You read that correctly. I am releasing a heavy metal album. 35 metal virtuosos. Thunderous guitars. Chaos with purpose.”
Shatner explains that the album will comprise both covers of songs by legendary metal heavyweights including Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden and Judas Priest, as well as a number of originals “forged in the same cosmic fire”.
“This project is, quite literally, a gathering of forces,” Shatner goes on. “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.”
That’s all the info we have on the album at this time, but we’re very excited, so trust us when we say we’ll keep you in the loop as we know more…
View this post on Instagram
The post “At 94 one does not slow down, one turns the volume up”: Star Trek legend William Shatner announces metal album appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.
Source: www.guitar-bass.net
