William Shatner has taken his career in a loud new direction. The Star Trek icon made his live heavy metal debut in Chicago with his new band, The *uckers. His set included covers of Ozzy Osbourne, Metallica and Motörhead. The unexpected move came as Shatner, 95, remained active across music and acting. His latest career chapter put him behind a microphone with a metal band.
The Star Trek icon made his live heavy-metal debut with covers of Ozzy Osbourne, Metallica and Motörhead
According to Metro, William Shatner and The *uckers made their live debut on September 19 at Park West in Chicago. The show was part of Riot Fest’s official aftershow schedule and served as a warm-up for their festival set.
Shatner tackled Ozzy Osbourne’s “Crazy Train,” Motörhead’s “Ace of Spades” and Metallica’s “Enter Sandman.” He delivered the lyrics in his familiar dramatic spoken-word style while the band supplied the heavy riffs.
Riot Fest announced the William Shatner metal band in July. The lineup featured guitarist Marcus Nand, bassist Phil Soussan, Vixen guitarist Britt Lightning and drummer Fred Aching.
The group also previewed original material from Shatner’s upcoming album, What the F Is Heavy Metal? The project takes Shatner’s heavy metal experiment beyond a novelty live appearance. It reportedly features Tony Iommi, Rob Halford, Brian May and Dave Lombardo.
The new direction adds another unusual chapter to a career that has rarely stayed in one lane. Shatner became a pop culture icon through Star Trek, but he has also released spoken-word albums and written books.
He has not left Captain Kirk completely behind. Shatner recently said he remained open to another Star Trek opportunity, keeping the door open to the role that defined much of his career.
Shatner followed his Park West debut with a Riot Fest appearance on September 20. The *uckers joined him again for the festival set at Douglass Park.
At 95, Shatner is still finding unexpected ways to change direction. His latest career move trades the Enterprise for distortion, classic metal songs and a very loud new chapter.
