Richard James "Hen" Henshall is a British progressive metal guitarist and keyboardist, most known for being the founding member and guitarist of Haken.
Personal Life
Henshall was born on 9 August 1984 in London, England. Henshall was classically trained on the piano from the age of seven. By the age of 11 to 12, he started playing the guitar
on a self-taught basis. He also had drums and clarinet classes in his youth. He grew up as a classmate of vocalist Ross Jennings.
Richard has professed that his liking of progressive music stemmed from listening to bands like
Pink Floyd, Radiohead and Metallica in his youth, but picked up especially after listening to the album Awake by Dream Theater, after a friend asked him if he had heard
of the band.
Music
To-Mera
To-Mera formed in 2005 between a few friends, Julie Kiss, Thomas MacLean, Lee Barrett, Akos Pirisi and Hugo Sheppard. In 2006,
To-Mera released the album Transcendental through Candlelight, followed by their next album, Delusions, in 2008.
In 2009, they parted with Candlelight, with Hugo Sheppard leaving soon after. Henshall was hired as replacement. They then self-released their EP Earthbound in 2012.
Haken
Haken was formed by Henshall as well as school friends Ross Jennings and Matthew Marshall.
Henshall has composed a majority of Haken's songs by himself and contributed some of the lyrics. He composed Aquarius alone, as well as almost
all of its successor, Visions. He would write his first lyrics for the band in the song "Cockroach King" from 2013's The Mountain.
Opinaut
Opinaut formed in 2011 from a group of four musicians working at the Sutton Music Centre. All four were talented multi-instrumentalists who worked in music full-time as
session players and tutors. The members are: Jon Hart on vocals, John Vince on drums, Henshall on guitar, and Samuel Brooks on bass. Their EP Oxygen was released in 2011
and was self-released online.
Collaborations
In 2018, Henshall provided guitars on the singles "Walls" and "Lighting Up the Sky" by Rainmask.
In 2019, Henshall starred in Alma West's album Redeption, providing guitar work on the album's title track.
In 2020, Henshall provided guitars on Andy Simmons EP Duplicated Motion
Henshall would join fellow Haken member Ross Jennings and Novena's Harrison White on Jennings' in a June 2021 paid livestream promoting Jennings' upcoming album, A Shadow of My Future Self.
Discography
Solo
With To-Mera
- Earthbound (2009, EP)
- Exile (2012)
With Haken
With Nova Collective
With Opinaut
Trivia
- Richard's favourite Haken album is The Mountain.
- He has stated that if he could receive a cyborg body part, he would like "some kind of Neuralink brain chip that allows [him] to instantly master jazz"
- According to a 2020 Q&A, Richard's favourite band is British art rock band Everything, Everything.
Gallery
2019 Virus Photoshoot
With Charlie Griffiths in 2014
2017 "Haken X" Tour
With Mike Portnoy's Shattered Fortress
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| Richard Henshall |
Henshall in a 2021 press photo |
| Guitarist and Keyboardist in Haken |
| Born |
9 August 1984 (age 37) |
| Origin |
London, United Kingdom |
| Membership |
2004, 2007-Present |
| Genres |
Progressive Metal, Progressive Rock, Djent |
| Years Active |
2004 - Present |
| Member of |
Haken
Nova Collective
To-Mera
Opinaut |
| Labels |
Sensory Records (Haken 2009-2013)
InsideOut Music (Haken, 2013-) Candlelight Records (To-Mera)
Metal Blade Records (Nova Collective)
Hen Records (Solo) |
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