Haken Guitarist Richard Henshall Releases Solo Track Featuring Dream Theater and Cynic Members

Haken guitarist Richard Henshall is getting set to release a solo album, and he’s brought some of his proggiest, most talented friends along with him.

“Twisted Shadows,” streaming now, features keyboard contributions from Dream Theater’s Jordan Rudess, drums by Cynic’s Matt Lynch and bass by his Haken bandmate Conner Green. The result is a track that sounds very Haken-like at its core, but grooves a bit harder with djenty pulsations, includes a bit of levity via Rudess’s trademark shenanigans (you’ll know ’em when you hear ’em), and has a gnarly jazz guitar solo in the middle. It’s a real fun listen if you ask me.

Elsewhere on The Cocoon, Henshall enlists assists from guitarists Marco Sfogli (James LaBrie), David Maxim Micic, and Ben Levin (Bent Knee), saxophonist Adam Carrillo, bassist Jessica Kion (Bent Knee), Haken vocalist Ross Jennings and violinist Chris Baum.

The Cocoon comes out on July 26th; pre-order here.