# William Shatner Reinterprets Metallica's 'Enter Sandman' at Riot Fest

> 95-year-old William Shatner performs a metal reinterpretation of Metallica's 'Enter Sandman' at Chicago's Riot Fest festival.
- Title: William Shatner Reinterprets Metallica's 'Enter Sandman' at…
- Summary: 95-year-old William Shatner performs a metal reinterpretation of Metallica's 'Enter Sandman' at Chicago's Riot Fest festival. Shatner reimagines Metallica's…
- Keywords: william shatner, riot fest, metallica, enter sandman, heavy metal, what the f is heavy metal, uckers band, star trek, nbc, seattle, chicago, festival
- Source: Billboard — https://billboard.com/music/rock/william-shatner-heavy-metal-riot-fest-1236342909
- Author: Fred Bronson
- Published: 2026-09-18T14:29:04+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: william shatner, riot fest, metallica, enter sandman, heavy metal, what the f is heavy metal, uckers band, star trek, nbc, seattle, chicago, festival
## Shatner's Metal Album
William Shatner releases his 13th album, What the F Is Heavy Metal?, at Riot Fest Chicago.

> I said, 'What the f, k is heavy metal?' and that's the title of the album: What the F Is Heavy Metal.
## Riot Fest Performance
Shatner and his band the *uckers perform six songs from the album at Chicago's Riot Fest festival.

> Yesterday I had my first rehearsal with the *uckers and it's working and it's going to be fantastic.
## Metallica Cover
Shatner reinterprets Metallica's 'Enter Sandman' as a metaphor for child molestation.

> My interpretation of 'Enter Sandman' is it's a child molester that has written these lyrics.
## Theatrical Ending
Shatner ends his set with a song about the fear of growing old, concluding with 'Fear fear fear, of old age.'

> We've written a song called 'One Fear,' which is the fear of growing old. It ends with the last chord and my saying, 'Fear fear, fear, bang! of old age.'
## Band Members
The *uckers band includes 50 musicians, with Brian May on guitar for the album track 'Rage.'

> Another original in the Riot Fest set is 'Rage.' The album version will feature Brian May on guitar.
## Star Trek Connection
Shatner reflects on his Star Trek role as a career milestone, celebrating the show's 60th anniversary.

> They're celebrating the 60th year of Star Trek. That's incredible. That's a phenomena.
## Riot Fest Dates
Shatner performs at Riot Fest on Saturday, September 19, and Sunday, September 20.

> Shatner will perform six songs from the album at Riot Fest, three originals written by Shatner and his longtime writing partner Rob Sharenow, and three covers, including Metallica's 'Enter Sandman.'
## Theatrical Approach
Shatner describes heavy metal as 'the rhythm of life' that 'permeates your body and lifts you up.'

> Heavy metal is the rhythm of life. It's overwhelming, especially if you've got earphones in.
## Rehearsal Feedback
Shatner's rehearsal with the *uckers received enthusiastic feedback from professional musicians.

> Holy sh-t! I have some idea, because there were some professional people that were at the rehearsal there yesterday saying, 'Holy sh-t!'
## Key takeaway

Shatner reimagines Metallica's song as a metaphor for child molestation, ending with a theatrical 'fear of old age' performance.