William Shatner, 95-year-old actor, occasional musical artist and all-round living legend, has been musing about bringing his proposed metal album – which is set to feature 35 musicians from the genre – onto the live stage.
In a new press statement, Shatner has said: “Having assembled one of the most ambitious gatherings of heavy metal royalty ever gathered for a single recording project, William Shatner is now exploring the possibility of taking his acclaimed Heavy Metal album to the stage for a live event unlike anything audiences have seen before.”
“Part concert, part theatrical experience, and part celebration of heavy metal’s enduring power and legacy, the proposed production would transform Shatner’s star-studded recording project into an immersive live spectacle combining legendary musicians, cinematic visuals, storytelling, and the larger-than-life charisma that has made Shatner a global icon for more than six decades.”
It’s also been announced that Mikkey Dee, drummer with Motorhead and more recently The Scorpions is on board with the project and has contributed to a cover of Judas Priest’s Living After Midnight.
Dee then joins a long list of his fellow sticksmen contributing to the album that includes Dave Lombardo (Slayer, The Misfits), Chris Adler (ex-Lamb of God, ex-Megadeth), Vinny Appice (Black Sabbath), Carmine Appice (Vanilla Fudge, Cactus), Kenny Aronoff (Steve Vai, Sammy Hagar), Simon Wright (AC/DC, UFO), Bobby Rondinelli (Blue Öyster Cult, Quiet Riot), Matt Starr (Ace Frehley, Joe Lynn Turner), Steve Zing (Danzig, Samhain, Mourning Noise), and Fred Aching (Kings of Thrash, Nuclear Messiah, Fraxures).
Also contributing, it seems, are Judas Priest frontman Rob Halford, with production being handled by Adam Hamilton (LA Guns, Brian Jonestown Massacre), Derek Hughes, Marcus Nand and Jurgen Engler of Die Krupps.
Shatner has added in his statement: “I needed pounding beats to make the music feel the way I feel it. The drums drive the emotion. They create the urgency, the excitement, the danger. Heavy metal should hit you in the chest and move your soul at the same time.”
The mind boggles. Shatner’s career as a recording artist has been esoteric, to say the least. Older readers will remember his late 60s album The Transformed Man, which contained his somewhat bonkers interpretations of Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds and Mr Tambourine Man. His second album 2004’s Has Been was produced by Ben Folds and included a cover of Pulp’s Common People. Since then he’s recorded an album of space-themed songs (Seeking Major Tom), a Christmas album (Shatner Claus) and a blues album entitled, er, The Blues.
As yet there’s no title yet for Shatner’s metal album/ live extravaganza. All those details, including other contributing artists and a release date are set to be announced “soon”.
