William Shatner finds answer to 'What the f--- is heavy metal?' after forming new band at 95
William Shatner is showing no signs of slowing down as he prepares to front a heavy metal band at age 95.
In addition to his decades-long career as an actor, Shatner is also an accomplished musician, who has released 11 studio albums encompassing a wide range of genres including spoken word, rock, progressive rock, Christmas and country releases.
During an interview with Fox News Digital, Shatner, who recently partnered with over-the-counter hearing aid maker Audien Hearing for a new campaign, shared his reaction when his music label Cleopatra Records first approached him earlier this year about making a heavy metal album.
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"I said, ‘What the f--- is heavy metal?’" the "Star Trek" icon recalled.
William Shatner explained why he decided to launch a heavy metal band at age 95. (WireImage)
"And that's the title of the album, ‘What the F is Heavy Metal,’" Shatner added.
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Shatner told Fox News Digital that he teamed up with his longtime creative collaborator and friend, author Robert Sharenow, for the project. The two previously worked together on five albums featuring autobiographical lyrics and spoken-word performances.
"So we wrote six songs for the album," Shatner said. "And I laid down my track."
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In addition to six original songs, Shatner said that "What the F is Heavy Metal" will feature covers with contributions from more than 50 musicians,
"We've got one number in the album that's gonna be out in the wintertime called ‘What the F is Heavy Metal,’" Shatner said. "All of a sudden, 50, I'm told 50 heavy metal musicians all volunteer to be on this album."
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The musicians included Queen's Brian May, who performed a guitar solo for one of the album's tracks titled "Rage." Shatner explained that "Rage" features the famous line "Rage, rage against the dying of the light" from the 1951 poem "Do not go gentle into that good night," written by Welsh poet Dylan Thomas.
Marcus Nand and Britt Lightning of The *uckers perform with William Shatner during Riot Fest at Douglass Park in Chicago, Ill., on Sept. 20, 2026. (WireImage)
While speaking with Fox News Digital, Shatner recalled that he was later invited to perform at Riot Fest, an annual three-day punk rock music festival held at Douglass Park in Chicago, Illinois. In a July social media post, the organizers of Riot Fest announced that Shatner would debut his heavy metal band The *uckers at the festival, noting that they had tried to book him for over a decade.
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The "Boston Legal" alum said that his label tapped five musicians to form his new heavy metal band. The all-star rock and heavy metal lineup includes guitarists Marcus Nand and Britt Lightning, bassist Phil Soussan and drummer Fred Aching.
"They put together a group of fabulous musicians," Shatner said. "We call ourselves The *uckers for, you know, ‘What the f--- is heavy metal.’'"
Shatner's upcoming album will feature 50 heavy metal musicians. (WireImage)
The band made its live debut in Chicago on Sept. 19 and performed at Riot Fest the following day. The *uckers played original songs including "Rage," "Sky" and "One Fear" alongside covers of Ozzy Osbourne's "Crazy Train," Motörhead's "Ace of Spades," and Metallica's "Enter Sandman."
"We went to Riot Fest … and was a huge success, huge," Shatner recalled. "They were cheering and the reviews and the people…so it proved to me the viability of ‘What the F is Heavy Metal.'"
After performing with The *uckers and making his heavy metal album, Shatner said he has an answer to his original question.
"It is the beat of life," he said. "It is such an energetic way of doing music. It enlivens your life. It stirs you up. It makes you pay attention."
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Shatner explained that his approach to heavy metal extends beyond the music itself. For the album, he said he incorporated fresh takes on the lyrics of several classic songs, including Metallica’s "Enter Sandman," which he believes contains darker themes beneath its familiar melody.
"I've reinterpreted even the cover songs," he said.
Shatner said his version of "Enter Sandman" focuses on the sinister implications of the song’s lyrics rather than treating the Sandman as a harmless bedtime figure.
"It's a total reinterpretation of the Sandman," he said. "It is amazing."
Shatner and The *uckers performed for the first time in Chicago in September. (WireImage)
While Shatner is embracing the volume of heavy metal, the project also connects to a more personal issue. The actor is partnering with Audien Hearing on a campaign about hearing health after experiencing tinnitus and hearing loss himself.
Shatner recalled that his hearing challenges began decades ago on the set of "Star Trek." During the filming of an explosion scene featuring him alongside his co-star Leonard Nimoy, the stage doors were accidentally left closed, preventing the blast from dissipating properly.
He told Fox News Digital that the two actors were taken to a doctor after their ears began ringing. Shatner said that he did not immediately realize that the noise had become permanent. The Canada native recalled that while walking on the beach one day, he noticed that the hiss of the retreating waves never completely disappeared.
"I heard the hiss, but the hiss never went away," he said. "It was always hissing."
The actor said the album features reinterpreted versions of hit heavy metal songs. (Getty Images)
Shatner said he eventually learned to live with the tinnitus through a process known as habituation. He also estimated that he has lost roughly 20% to 30% of his hearing and said hearing aids have helped him rediscover everyday sounds.
"The dog claws on the floor, the creak of this rocking chair — all the panoply of sounds that go to make up the richness of the world around us, we’re using hearing," he said.
Shatner's hearing challenges have not stopped him from playing heavy metal. However, he said the loud music can temporarily intensify the tinnitus, which he noticed after performing at Riot Fest.
"Now I'm fitted with earphones, right? And the sound would have been blasting in anyway, but it's heavy metal sound," he said. "I'm blasting in on my tinnitus."
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"So there is this noise," Shatner continued. "Either I'm going to perform with the noise or I'm not going to perform."
"And my tinnitus is just coming back down now," he added. "It was hissing so loudly being subjected to that sound."
WATCH: WILLIAM SHATNER SAYS HE PERFORMED THROUGH ‘LOUD’ TINNITUS DURING HEAVY-METAL DEBUT AT 95
Despite the challenges that come with performing through tinnitus, Shatner said he is moving ahead with the album. He told Fox News Digital that the tracks have already been recorded, but he plans to listen to the completed music and determine whether he needs to make any changes to his performance.
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"In effect, the album has been made, but I'm going in a week or two to listen to it to see how much of an adjustment in my performance I need to do with these musicians, who are playing in an area that I really don't know," he said.
Shatner said the first single from the upcoming album will be released this winter. (WireImage)
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"I want to see if my performance needs to be adjusted to their tempo and their meaning of the heavy metal," Shatner continued. "So that's what's going to happen."
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"This is going to be a major thing in heavy metal," he added. "'What the F Is Heavy Metal,'" with 50 of the greatest people, including Brian May, on the album."
Ashley Hume is an entertainment journalist for Fox News Digital and Fox Business who covers breaking news, celebrity culture, major industry events and the business of entertainment.
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