Why Ritchie Blackmore Is Not On William Shatner's Metal Album

By Editorial Staff | Published: Apr 13, 2026 12:07 PM EDT

Cleopatra Records shared a new update on William Shatner's forthcoming metal album and revealed that the Star Trek icon reached out to Deep Purple legend Ritchie Blackmore to record a guitar solo for the song "The Grim Reaper", which Blackmore felt that he could not improve on the solo that has already been recorded by Marcus Nand.

The label shared these details: When you're looking for a great guitar solo, you need a great guitarist to play it. That's what William Shatner thought as he was playing through the early material that he has already gathered for his upcoming Metal album, and that's exactly what he did.

Shatner was listening back to "The Grim Reaper," a new song that he cowrote with guitarist Marcus Nand, and while he was personally happy with the performance, he also sent their demo to the Rainbow/Deep Purple legend to ask what he thought, and what he might do different. Ritchie got back to him directly. ""The guitar solo on what you sent is very good. I don't feel I can add anything to change or improve it."

So, Nand, already widely regarded as one of the best, if under-rated, guitarists on the current scene, known for his refined, tasteful playing style, takes one more giant step towards immortality. Ritchie, after all, is renowned for his refusal to accept second best... if he says something's good, you'd better believe it's good.

And Nand is good, his eclectic upbringing formulating a style that spans the flamenco traditions of Spain, the soulful depths of blues, and the raw power of rock. This unique blend has garnered him significant recognition, notably through his work with long-time David Bowie sideman Mike Garson; the metal band Freak Of Nature, featuring Mike Tramp; and the world music-infused rock ensemble Ziroq, alongside another Bowie veteran, bassist Carmine Rojas.

Blackmore, who has previously collaborated on two William Shatner albums, the Blues and Christmas albums, also expressed his gratitude for being considered for this new project and conveyed his encouragement.

And so work continues apace on this most eagerly-awaited of albums, but if you can't wait to hear just how good a guitarist Nand is, catch his debut solo album The Traveler, released in 2024 by Cleopatra Records. Garson, Tramp and Rojas all appear on the album, alongside Billy Idol collaborator Steve Stevens. It is available here