Haken guitarist Richard Henshall has premiered new song Twisted Shadows with Prog. You can listen to the new track in full below.

It's the first song taken from Henshall's debut solo album The Cocoon and featured fellow Haken band mates Conner Green on bass and Ross Jennings on guest vocals and Jordan Rudess on keyboards. The Cocoon which will be released on July 26 and also features contributions from Bent Knee trio Jessica Kion and Chris Baum and Ben Levin.

"Twisted Shadows was born from some late night improvisations at my piano," Henshall tells Prog. "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."

The Cocoon can be pre-ordered from Burning Shed.