The Cocoon is the debut solo album by British guitarist and keyboardist Richard Henshall. It was self-released on 9 August 2019, initially scheduled for a 26 July 2019 release.
The album is Henshall's first outing as a vocalist and features guest performances from bandmates Ross Jennings and
Conner Green, as well as appearences by Dream Theater keyboardist Jordan Rudess and Cynic drummer Matt Lynch.
Basis
The album follows the story of an unnamed protagonist trying to break free from a metaphorical cocoon. As the album progresses he moves ever closer to breaking free,
until he is finally liberated from album's closing track, "Afterglow".
While the album has this overarching storyline, each song also tackles its own individual story.
Production
The album started life in 2013. With the more collaborative production of The Mountain compared to its two predecessors, Henshall was left with
the spare time to work on the earliest demos for the album. However, his time was soon eaten up by his contributions to one of his other bands, Nova Collective. Henshall was able to
continue his work on The Cocoon after the release of Nova Collective's The Further Side in 2017.
Tracklist
| Pos. |
Song Title |
Length |
| |
Total Length: |
47:38 |
| 1. |
"Pupa" |
2:25 |
| 2. |
"Cocoon" |
10:26 |
| 3. |
"Silken Chains" |
5:29 |
| 4. |
"Limbo" |
3:54 |
| 5. |
"Lunar Room" |
8:41 |
| 6. |
"Twisted Shadows" |
8:46 |
| 7. |
"Afterglow" |
5:16 |
Personnel
Musicians
- Richard Henshall - vocals, guitar, keyboards, production
- Conner Green - bass
- Matt Lynch
Additional Personnel
- Ben Levin - vocals and lyrics on "Lunar Room"
- Jessica Kion - vocals on "Lunar Room"
- Ross Jennings - vocals on "Twisted Shadows"
- Jordan Rudess - keyboard solo on "Twisted Shadows"
- Marco Sfogli - guitar solo on "Lunar Room"
- David Maxim Micic - guitar solo on "Silken Chains"
- Chris Baum - strings on "Afterglow"
- Adam Carrillo - saxophone on "Cocoon"
Production and Design
- Simon Grove - production, reamping, mixing and mastering
- Joe Hamilton - additional drum editing
- Sevcan Yuksel Henshall - artwork
Quotes
"The album has pushed me as a composer and musician and has given me the opportunity to delve deeper than ever into my love for electronic, jazz and metal music.
The music on The Cocoon feels like the perfect reflection of my tastes, influences and experiences in music and life in general."
-Richard Henshall
Trivia
- The album's artwork was made by Henshall's wife, Sev. It likely represents the protagonist trapped within his metaphorical cocoon.
Vinyl gatefold back
A-Side of the Vinyl LP
CD
|
|
|
| Released |
9 August 2019 |
| Recorded |
2017-2019 |
| Genre |
Progressive metal, Jazz fusion |
| Length |
47:38 |
| Label |
Self-Released |
| Richard Henshall Chronology |
| Cover from the Instrumental release. |
|
