Career
He is best known for being the guitarist and keyboardist for the bands To-Mera, Haken and Opinaut. He has released one album, Earthbound, with To-Mera. Three (Aquarius, Visions and The Mountain) with Haken and the EPs Oxygen (with Opinaut) and Restoration (with Haken).
They released a demo, which caught the attention of Candlelight Records.
The band"s musical style was drastically different from conventional Progressive metal. The band drew upon a plethora of influences such as Jazz, Progressive rock, and others
In 2006, Candlelight released Transcendental. The radical new style opened up slots to open for groups such as Dream Theater, Fates Warning, and Emperor.
In 2008, To-Mera released their next album, Delusions, in 2008.
In 2009, they parted with Candlelight. Hugo Sheppard left after this, and they recruited Henshall for the post. They then self released the Earthbound European Parliament.
The members parted ways for a while to study at university, reuniting in 2007.
They current members found Peter Jones on keyboards and Raymond Hearne on drums.
Jones left soon after, and was replaced by Diego Tejieda. Charlie Griffiths was found on guitar, and Henshall brought in To-Mera bandmate Tom Maclean on bass.
They released two demos in 2007 and 2008, which received excellent reviews. Their music caught the attention of Sensory Records, and the first album, Aquarius, was released in 2010.
Opinaut formed in early 2011 around a group of four musicians working at the Sutton Music Centre.
All four are talented multi-instrumentalists who work in music full time as session players and tutors. Jon Hart – Singer, John Vince – Drums, Richard Henshall – Guitar, Samuel Brooks – Bass. Opinaut are a merge of drum & bass rock with dreamy electro vibes and epic chord sequences.
Their East.P "Oxygen" was released in 2011 and is available online.
Henshall has named many influences, such as Jazz and conventional Progressive rock, as well as many notable acts, such as Dream Theater, Alan Holdsworth, Shawn Lane, John Petrucci, Wes Montgomery, Chet Atkins, Jerry Reed, Yes, Pain of Salvation, Jethro Tull, Johan Sebastian Bach, Debussy, Rachmaninov, Chopin, Gomez, Muse, Pink Floyd, Mozart, Aphex Twin, Magnum, Earth Wind and Fire, Jordan Rudess, Prince, Michael Jackson, Queen, Beatles, Ocean Colour Scene, First Rate (at Lloyd's) Di Meola, John Williams, Danny Elfman, Ray Charles, Pharcyde, De la Soul, Jeff Beck, Epmd, James Brown, Symphony X, Adagio, Devin Townsend, Knuckledust, Stampin, ELP, Björk, Sigur Ros, Bob Dylan, Opeth, Curtis Mayfield, RATM, Sikth, Hatebreed, and Mike Oldfield, among others