Acclaimed for his work as a founding member of prog metal standouts Haken, as well as Nova Collective, Mike Portnoy’s Shattered Fortress, and as a Strandberg Guitars associate artist, Richard Henshall has released his debut solo album, ‘The Cocoon’ today!

‘”Henshall has composed material which will not only find common ground with his established followers from his past efforts with Haken and Nova Collective, but also bring in new fans with the more varied sound palate.” – The Prog Report

“Haken fans will definitely love it, but I think other prog fans will, too.” – The Prog Mind

“This album defines the musical and creative identity of one of the most talented composers in prog today.” – World Prog Nation

Watch the videos for
“Limbo” : https://youtu.be/mIhv4bpH74o
and 
“Twisted Shadows” here: https://youtu.be/2kSMywY_zgg

Photo Credit: Anne-Marie Forker

The album is available here: 
https://burningshed.com/store/richardhenshall

Tracklisting:
1. Pupa (2:26)
2. Cocoon (10:27)
3. Silken Chains (8:10)
4. Limbo (3:55)
5. Lunar Room (8:22)
6. Twisted Shadows (8:47)
7. Afterglow (5:16)

Consisting of tracks that range from dense polyrhythmic passages to delicate minimalistic interludes and everything in between, ‘The Cocoon’ features Henshall’s trademark guitar and keyboard playing throughout, and marks his debut performance as a lead vocalist.

The multi-layered, richly textured and often heart wrenching album, represents four years of creative input from Henshall and draws inspiration from artists such as Bon Iver, Meshuggah, Squarepusher and Tigran Hamasyan, which has resulted in, arguably, his most ambitious and eclectic work to date.

Completing the lineup for the release are Conner Green (Haken) on bass and Matthew Lynch (Cynic and Nova Collective) on drums. “Conner and Matt never cease to astound me with what they can achieve on their instruments. They both have a fresh, unique approach to playing, which has really breathed new life into the music on ‘The Cocoon’. They really outdid themselves on this record”

The album also features a stellar cast of guests including Jordan Rudess, Marco Sfogli, David Maxim Micic, Jazz saxophonist Adam Carrillo and Bent Knee’s Ben Levin, Jessica Kion and Chris Baum 

Richard Henshall online:
https://www.facebook.com/RichHenshall/
https://www.instagram.com/rich_henshall/
https://www.facebook.com/HakenOfficial/