William Shatner releases heavy metal album with The *uckers at 95

William Shatner has completed a heavy metal album titled "What the F is Heavy Metal," which he fronted with a new band called The uckers at age 95. The project marks a significant pivot for the actor and musician, who has previously released 11 studio albums across genres including spoken word, rock, and country. Shatner partnered with author Robert Sharenow, a longtime collaborator, to write six original songs for the record. The album also features cover versions of classic tracks, including Ozzy Osbourne's "Crazy Train," Motörhead's "Ace of Spades," and Metallica's "Enter Sandman." Shatner stated that he reinterpreted the lyrics of these covers to focus on darker themes, describing his version of "Enter Sandman" as a "total reinterpretation" that avoids treating the Sandman as a harmless figure. The recording process involved contributions from more than 50 musicians, including Queen guitarist Brian May, who performed a solo on the track "Rage." That song incorporates the line "Rage, rage against the dying of the light" from Dylan Thomas's 1951 poem. Shatner's label, Cleopatra Records, tapped five musicians to form The uckers: guitarists Marcus Nand and Britt Lightning, bassist Phil Soussan, and drummer Fred Aching. The band made its live debut at Riot Fest in Chicago, Illinois, where they performed on September 19 and September 20. The festival organizers noted in a July social media post that they had attempted to book Shatner for over a decade prior to his appearance. Shatner described the performance as a "huge success," citing positive audience reactions and reviews as proof of the album's viability. While embracing the genre, Shatner is simultaneously addressing his own hearing health through a partnership with Audien Hearing. The actor revealed that he has experienced tinnitus and hearing loss for decades, tracing the onset of his condition to an accident on the set of "Star Trek." During the filming of an explosion scene with co-star Leonard Nimoy, stage doors were left closed, causing the blast to reflect back at them. Shatner stated that he lost roughly 20% to 30% of his hearing and has used hearing aids to rediscover everyday sounds. He acknowledged that performing heavy metal can temporarily intensify his tinnitus, but he chose to perform through the noise at Riot Fest rather than stop. The album tracks have been recorded, and Shatner plans to listen to the completed music in a week or two to determine if adjustments are needed to match the musicians' tempo and interpretation.