Mikkey Dee joins William Shatner’s heavy-metal album, drums take center stage

Mikkey Dee has joined William Shatner’s upcoming heavy-metal album, and the longtime Motörhead and Scorpions drummer is set to play on a cover of Judas Priest’s “Living After Midnight.” That choice puts one of hard rock’s most forceful players at the center of a project that is leaning hard into spectacle, but Shatner’s own comments make the drummer’s role sound more than decorative: he wants the drums to “drive the emotion,” with “urgency,” “excitement” and “danger” built into the performance.

The album was first announced on Feb. 19, 2026, as Shatner’s latest release and his first full heavy-metal record. Cleopatra Records said the project would feature 35 hand-picked metal icons chosen by Shatner, and the concept was framed as “equal parts thunder, theater, and fearless experimentation.” The material already known points to a set built for recognition and cross-genre curiosity, with Shatner taking on Judas Priest’s “You’ve Got Another Thing Comin’” alongside Rob Halford, plus songs tied to Black Sabbath and Iron Maiden. The title, full track list, release date and complete guest list were still unrevealed by June 24.

What makes Dee’s involvement land with drummer listeners is the way the project keeps putting rhythm in the foreground. Shatner’s metal pivot began with a spoken-word intro he recorded for Chris Poland’s Nuclear Messiah project, a one-off that pushed him toward making a full album. Brian Perera, the founder and head of Cleopatra Records, later called it another chapter in Shatner’s musical journey, and the guest list has only made the idea feel bigger, not stranger.

That scale became even clearer when the live version entered the conversation. The project is being considered as a concert-theater hybrid, described as part concert, part theatrical experience and part celebration of heavy metal’s enduring legacy, with cinematic visuals, storytelling and Shatner’s stage presence folded in. The production team named in June included Adam Hamilton, Brian Perera, Derek Hughes, Marcus Nand and Jürgen Engler.

The drummer roster alone makes the album feel like a summit meeting rather than a stunt. Alongside Dee, the project has been linked to Dave Lombardo, Chris Adler, Vinny Appice, Carmine Appice, Kenny Aronoff, Simon Wright, Bobby Rondinelli, Matt Starr, Steve Zing and Fred Aching. With that kind of cast, Shatner’s metal record looks designed to let the drums do what they do best: carry the drama, push the pulse and make the whole thing hit harder.