William Shatner, 95, Just Made His Heavy Metal Debut at Riot Fest

William Shatner is 95 years old, and this past weekend he became a metal frontman. The Star Trek icon played an intimate Chicago club show on Saturday, then took the Riot Fest stage on Sunday with his backing band The *uckers, running through Ozzy Osbourne’s“Crazy Train,”Motörhead’s“Ace of Spades,”Metallica’s“Enter Sandman,”and his original track“Rage.”Delivered in his signature theatrical spoken-word style, the set turned a novelty booking into one of the most talked-about moments of the festival.

The project started when Cleopatra Records approached Shatner about making a metal album. His response to the pitch became the album’s title:What the F Is Heavy Metal?The record is due out this winter, and the guest list is stacked with legends, including Brian May, Rob Halford, Tony Iommi, and Dave Lombardo. Shatner’s band features musical director Marcus Nand, bassist Phil Soussan, guitarist Britt Lightning, and drummer Fred Aching.

Shatner told the Riot Fest crowd he’s“stumbling around in total ignorance, except for one thing”— that one thing being his instinct for what entertains an audience. Based on the reaction in Chicago, the instinct still works. It’s a career reinvention almost nobody saw coming, and it raises a real question: is spoken-word metal a gimmick, or is it its own legitimate lane?

Would you listen to William Shatner’s metal album this winter? Tell us in the comments.