William Shatner has finally entered the heavy metal wilderness. The 95-year-old former Star Trek actor made his metal debut Saturday at a Riot Fest Chicago after hours gig, where he covered Ozzy Osbourne and Metallica with his new band the *uckers.
The warmup show at Chicago’s Park West came ahead of the band’s first official performance Sunday at Riot Fest. Shatner had already promised the genre shift. “I have explored space,” he said on social media. “I have explored time. Now … I explore distortion.”
The Covers
Shatner and the uckers played a six-song set, three of which came from the band’s upcoming album What the F Is Heavy Metal?*. The covers included Osbourne’s “Crazy Train,” Metallica’s “Enter Sandman,” and Motorhead’s “Ace of Spades.”
The set was brief but pointed. Six songs, three originals, three classics — a clear statement of intent.
The Band
The *uckers are the vehicle for Shatner’s metal experiment. The name is a promise of something informal, and the band delivers on it. Shatner’s theatrical delivery has always been part of his act, and the band is billed as a group of heavy metal veterans.
The Album
What the F Is Heavy Metal? is the record that will document this odyssey. The album features appearances by rock royalty like Tony Iommi of Black Sabbath, Brian May of Queen, Rob Halford of Judas Priest, and Dave Lombardo of Slayer.
That is a pretty good list of names for a debut metal record. It also makes the whole thing sound a little less absurd.
The Passion
Shatner told Billboard recently that he has come to understand what heavy metal is. “It’s an energy that permeates your body and lifts you up,” he said.
“It’s overwhelming, especially if you’ve got earphones in.”
Shatner also noted that he has earbuds made for himself, which he will be using for the Sunday show. The excitement is real.
The Career
Shatner has not approached music as a casual hobby. He has released albums across genres including spoken word, the blues, country music, Christmas songs, and children’s music.
That resume now includes heavy metal. It also includes a Star Trek career that has spanned decades, which is why a metal debut from him reads as a cultural event rather than a novelty.
The Sunday Show
The Sunday performance at Riot Fest will be the band’s official debut. It will also be the test of whether Shatner’s metal instincts hold up in front of a crowd that expects them to.
The Verdict
Shatner is not trying to reinvent metal. He is trying to enjoy it. His enthusiasm is genuine, and his description of heavy metal as “the rhythm of life” captures something real about the genre.
This is a man who has seen the world and still finds joy in loud noise. That is worth celebrating, even if the cover of “Crazy Train” is not going to change anyone’s mind about the track.
Numbers to Know
- Age: 95
- Album: What the F Is Heavy Metal?
- Cover songs: “Crazy Train,” “Enter Sandman,” “Ace of Spades”
- Guests on album: Tony Iommi, Brian May, Rob Halford, Dave Lombardo
- First show: Saturday at Park West, Chicago
- Official debut: Sunday at Riot Fest
- The covers were the draw.
- The band is a group of veterans.
- The album’s guest list is impressive.
- Shatner’s enthusiasm is real.
- The set was short and to the point.
Shatner’s metal debut is a thing that happened, and it is the kind of thing that will be remembered. He did not phone it in, and he did not take the genre lightly.
It is also, genuinely, the rhythm of life.
See the video the story is built around at Rolling Stone.
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