William Shatner, known worldwide for playing Captain James T. Kirk in Star Trek, has announced a new phase in his career: the actor is set to make his debut as the vocalist of a heavy metal band.
The group will perform its first show at Riot Fest 2026 in Chicago on September 20. The performance will also mark the release of Shatner’s new album, titled What the F Is Heavy Metal.
The project brings together experienced musicians, including Marcus Nand and Britt Lightning on guitars, Phil Soussan on bass and Fred Aching on drums. The band is expected to perform songs from the new album as well as tracks from the actor’s musical career.
“I decided that you are such big fans of mine that I’m going to debut my heavy metal record at Riot Fest. I hope you’re there — and I hope I’m there,” Shatner joked in a video shared by the festival on Instagram.
The announcement comes just a few months after Shatner denounced the spread of AI-generated fake news about his alleged death and a terminal illness.
The actor said that social media pages were spreading false information and manipulated images to attract engagement and generate revenue, asking fans to verify information only through his official channels.
+ Jim Parsons says he paid a very high price for the success of “The Big Bang Theory”
+ Video: Driver enters Ironman course and nearly hits athletes during police chase in the US
View this post on Instagram
Photos: Instagram @williamshatner. This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.
