The prog icon wrote a song with the people behind Nickelback, Daughtry and a string of American Idol winners - but he says he'll never release it as he finds it "f***ing disgusting."

After the release of his Z2 album, Townsend was encouraged to write with others, but he has described the experience as "everything I dislike about music."

Townsend tells Decibel: "I went to LA and I wrote with a team who produced all the Nickelback stuff recently, Daughtry, all the American Idol people who win, and I wrote a song with them.

"And I hate it in such a way that is hard for me to quantify. I really like the guys, I think they're really talented, but I told them yesterday or the day before that I'm not putting it out. There's no f***ing way I'm putting it out.