THE COCOON

Haken fans are naturally attracted to "The Cocoon", debut solo album by Henshall. It's a mature debut, made by a master craftsman. Henshall enlisted his wide group of musician friends. The result is a delight, showcasing different influences such as prog-metal, jazz-metal, post-rock and math-rock. Henshall is a true virtuoso, demonstrating his John Pettruci heritage. It's almost a lost Haken album - the only missing element is Ross Jennings's voice (hiding in track #6). The compositions are intelligent and engaging. The only problems are the "big concept", the lyrics and Henshall's weak singing voice. He's not much of a front-man, you see. That's why Henshall used Ben Levin's vocals for one track. But it's clearly not enough. So if you're searching for imaginative melodies and clever arrangements - you've got it, big time. But if you really need inspiring lyrics (like Haken's "The Mountain") with a strong soloist - "The Cocoon" will disappoint you somewhat. It's not a bad album in any sense. It's just that Haken's albums are so much more grand than this small one.