William Shatner is making a heavy metal album

William Shatner has been bringing his thespian-trained, Shatneresque magic to other people’s songs going back to his 1969 alum The Transformed Man, that featured his cult classic version of “Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds,” to his now legendary performance of Elton John’s “Rocket Man” at the 1978 Science Fiction Awards (which Beck paid homage to in the “Where It’s At” video), and his 2004 Ben Folds-produced album Has Been which featured a cover of Pulp’s “Common People.” Now he’s doing it again but with heavy metal.

“Metal has always been a place where imagination gets loud,” says Shatner, who turns 95 in March. “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.”

Full details have yet to emerge, but the press release says the 35-song album is “a heavy metal extravaganza powered a veritable army of metal stars—each one personally selected and hand-picked by Shatner to help deliver a project that’s equal parts thunder, theater, and fearless experimentation.”

The album came about when Shatner was asked to contribute intro narration to the upcoming album by Nuclear Messiah, the band formed by former Megadeth guitarist Chris Poland. “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.”

“I’ve spent a lifetime exploring in both reality and fiction,” Shatner adds. “Now I am stepping out into the unknown once again with my new project in heavy metal. I am covering Black Sabbath, Judas Priest and Iron Maiden as well as a number of new songs written by my team. The whole project is destined for this year. I hope you will join me in the exploration.”

Stay tuned.