"William Shatner has been bringing his thespian-trained, Shatneresque magic to other people's songs going back to his 1969 alum The Transformed Man, that featured his cult classic version of "Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds," to his now legendary performance of Elton John's "Rocket Man" at the 1978 Science Fiction Awards (which Beck paid homage to in the "Where It's At" video), and his 2004 Ben Folds-produced album Has Been which featured a cover of Pulp's "Common People.""
"The album came about when Shatner was asked to contribute intro narration to the upcoming album by Nuclear Messiah, the band formed by former Megadeth guitarist Chris Poland. "When Nuclear Messiah came to life, something clicked," Shatner said. "It wasn't just a track-it was a doorway. It made me want to go all the way in, bring in the best metal players I could find, and create something fearless.""
""I've spent a lifetime exploring in both reality and fiction," Shatner adds. "Now I am stepping out into the unknown once again with my new project in heavy metal. I am covering Black Sabbath, Judas Priest and Iron Maiden as well as a number of new songs written by my team. The whole project is destined for this year. I hope you will join me in the exploration.""
William Shatner has a long history of covering popular songs and performing theatrical interpretations, from The Transformed Man (1969) and "Rocket Man" (1978) to the Ben Folds-produced Has Been (2004). He is assembling a 35-song heavy metal album that features personally selected metal artists contributing covers and new material. The project began after he recorded intro narration for Nuclear Messiah, a band formed by former Megadeth guitarist Chris Poland, which inspired a larger collaboration. Shatner plans to cover Black Sabbath, Judas Priest, and Iron Maiden alongside new songs written by his team. The project is described as thunderous, theatrical, and experimental, and is slated for release this year.
Read at BrooklynVegan
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