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
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
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 is now prepared to release his debut solo album, ‘The Cocoon’. The album will now be released on August 9th.
The new video for “Limbo” from the album was premiered earlier today on The Prog Report. Watch the video now here:
“Limbo” focuses on the atmospheric side of my sound and draws influence from the likes of Sigur Ros and Volcano Choir. The lyrics touch upon the idea of being stuck between two worlds whilst being bound by a fate that you have no control of. Miles Skarin from Crystal Spotlight put together this beautiful video with his own footage of the dramatic, barren landscape of Iceland, which ties in perfectly with soundscapes within the music.” – Richard Henshall
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
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 is now prepared to release his debut solo album, ‘The Cocoon’. The album will be released on July 26th.
The first single “Twisted Shadows” was premiered earlier today on Prog. Check it out here:
Henshall says this about the track: “Twisted Shadows was born from some late night improvisations at my piano. I started playing an infectious groove-based idea which I later developed into a full band arrangement. The music is sparked by the quirkier and more atonal side of my sound, alongside some darker and heavier influences, with the likes of Prince, Frank Zappa, Dear Hunter and Meshuggah being primary sources of inspiration. I’ve celebrated the contrasting elements within the music and consciously pushed them in opposing directions, to give the song a strong sense of juxtaposition. Recording lead vocals was a little daunting at first but ultimately became an extremely enjoyable and rewarding process. The lyrics in this track help develop an overarching concept that ties the album together.
“Conner Green and Matt Lynch have done an amazing job of locking down the rhythm section which is the key element driving this song. I’m also extremely honoured to have my good friends Jordan Rudess and Ross Jennings as guest musicians on this track; they really helped bring the music to life with their incredible performances. Last but not least, Simon Grove did a stellar job of tying everything together with his killer mix and master.”
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
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