Glenn Hughes' 'Chosen' - Album Review

Considering what a rock legend the singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Glenn Hughes is, he has not featured on this blog that often over the years. In fairness, he has not been hugely prolific as a solo artist lately - and he has also cancelled on me twice when tours I had tickets to were pulled. I finally saw him as a solo artist at the weather-impacted 2018 iteration of Steelhouse Festival - where he headlined the Saturday night with a full set of classic Deep Purple material. His set was one of the highlights of the truncated weekend, and he played many of my favourite Mk. III and IV Deep Purple cuts - but otherwise my live experiences of him have been limited to shorter festival sets at both iterations of the High Voltage Festival. The first year he was one of the singers at the final Heaven & Hell show, the only one the band did following the death of Ronnie James Dio, and he returned the next year with Black Country Communion. Both of these sets were enjoyable - but the Deep Purple set at Steelhouse was easily the best, and I am gutted that I have generally missed his tours either because they were cancelled or because they clashed with other plans. His fans have been made to wait for a new solo album, too. Before last week, Hughes' last solo album Resonate dropped in 2016 - with that in itself his first for eight years. I get the impression that he sees himself more as a team player than a solo artist. He clearly wanted Black Country Communion to be a going concern, but Joe Bonamassa's schedule was never going to allow that, and sequel band California Breed sadly went nowhere. He even spent some time on the carousel of The Dead Daisies - but he is now back as a solo artist, which is perhaps best for him at his advanced age. His recent setlists include solo material alongside songs by Trapeze, Deep Purple, Hughes/Thrall, and Black Country Communion - whilst his work with Tony Iommi both in and out of Black Sabbath is also notable. Hughes has done it all, then, and the release of his 14th solo album (not counting a Christmas effort) Chosen therefore feels like something of a celebration. At one point he was a prolific solo artist, but Chosen is his first solo album for nine years - although since Resonate dropped he has released two albums with Black Country Communion and two with The Dead Daisies. The most recent of the four was Black Country Communion's V (which I reviewed here), an album I listened to quite a lot when it came out last year. Hughes' solo material has generally sounded a little different from his various bands, though, and Chosen is no different. This latest album is certainly a rocker - but Hughes has always been known for his love of soul, and there are moments of that here alongside a more retro hard rock sound. Save for some vocal and guitar overdubs, much of this album was likely recorded live in studio - and it has that energy throughout. With Hughes sounding as good as ever vocally, and handling the bass guitar, joining him here are guitarist Søren Andersen, who has played with Hughes a lot in recent years and also co-produced the album, keyboard player Bob Fridzema (King King), and drummer Ash Sheehan (The Twang). 

Despite the soulful edge, Chosen is generally a pretty no-nonsense hard rock album - with Andersen's big guitar riffing driving everything. I would have liked more keyboards at times, but the songs here are generally not trying to capture that old Deep Purple sound - and the focus is always on Hughes' superhuman vocal power alongside the big guitars. The opening cut Voice in My Head showcases this hard-driving sound from the off, with a spiky, staccato guitar riff kicking things off - which soon morphs into a much groovier riff when the verse takes over. This later riff is not a million miles away from Iommi's style, which means this opening cut is pretty weighty. Whilst Andersen's guitar playing drives the song, Hughes' bass is also high in the mix. The bass doubles the guitar nicely during the staccato moments, which really gives the mix some bite - whilst the groovier moments are also nicely backed by Hughes' snaking playing. The drums sound punchy, too, and Hughes roars above this groovy backing - with his voice sounding as powerful as ever. His vocal longevity, particularly given his well-documented drug issues during the 1970s and 1980s, is astonishing - and since the 1990s he really seems to have been making up for lost time. The spiky chorus here ripples with power as the opening riffing returns, with some gritty, yet soulful, vocals providing a big hook - whilst a spacey instrumental section sees the heaviness drop away to allow for clean guitar melodies and atmospheric synth leads. The mix of staccato and groovy riffing makes the track a winner - and it is clear from the off that Hughes remains a vital force in the rock world. My Alibi is also very riff-driven, with Andersen's barrelling riff kicking thing off, but it is also a more dynamic track overall. Once Hughes starts to sing the verse, the riffing drops away - with Andersen instead laying down some effects-heavy clean guitar melodies as Hughes provides plenty of bass depth. These cleaner verses allow for a gentler vocal delivery, with Hughes floating nicely above this bass rumble with a sweeter tone. His love of soul really shines through here - but he unleashes something much grittier once the chorus rolls around and Andersen's intro riff returns. The snappy riff here feels like a head shaker following the murkier verses - and Hughes' simple chorus utterances easily sink into the brain, giving it a primal power. Following a brief bass-led break, too, the song then contains Andersen's first big guitar solo of the album. Filled with emotional bluesy bends and the occasional shredded run, the solo suits the song's dynamic arrangement - and builds on those years of Andersen playing the part of Ritchie Blackmore live. The title track follows and the song feels a bit more cinematic than the previous two - whilst somewhat sticking to a similar arrangement as My Alibi. The opening riff is a bit more slab-like this time, but it is short lived as clean guitars and a pulsing bassline soon take over - with Hughes' gorgeous verse vocals a highlight. The later chorus is not as heavy as those which have come before, but it is still rockier than the verses - with simpler power chords, the occasional ringing guitar lead, and hookier vocals from Hughes bringing it to life. The song is not as hard-driving as others here, but the scope feels a bit bigger. The clean guitar depth and the use of guitar leads makes the track feel bigger - whilst there is also a subtle keyboard depth which was less obvious on the other songs. The chorus is one of the album's main earworms, too, with its poppy smoothness sitting well within the song's scope.

Heal somewhat builds on these poppier moments of the previous track and turns them into a whole song. The opening riff, which is very bass-backed, reminds me of the chorus of Chosen, whilst generally the track is less weighty than what has come before. Despite this, though, there is little light and shade here. There are no slow-burning verses this time, with them instead being punchy - utilising the opening riff as punctuation between Hughes' smooth vocal lines. Snappy drumming and wordless vocal hooks also help the song to shine - whilst the chorus does rock things up slightly more thanks to some grittier vocals and a contrast with a brief, cleaner pre-chorus. Despite the poppy overtones, though, the song remains energetic. It is certainly a rocker, it just does not lean into the heavier end of Hughes' songwriting - and Andersen also includes a couple of memorable solos. In the Golden returns to a much heavier sound, with a fast-paced riff kicking things off before Andersen settles into more of a mid-paced groove. Arrangement-wise, the song feels like a mix of the first two here. There are cleaner moments during the verses, particularly whilst Hughes sings, but the groovy riff returns to act as punctuation. The verses are hooky, then, thanks to his trade-off between the vocals and the guitar riffing - whilst the chorus is actually a bit more low key overall, with murky clean guitar melodies and some soulful vocals. It is not the hookiest chorus, but following the tougher verses I like the way that it seeps out - with Hughes sounding great and the clean guitar melodies adding an edge. The mid-paced riff is also later a backing for a strange guitar solo which further cements the song's interesting arrangement. The Lost Parade also seems to hark back somewhat to Hughes' work with Iommi. Andersen's opening riff here is quite slow and doomy - and it is easily the heaviest thing here. Despite his soulful ways, Hughes still clearly loves to rock - and his refined vocals against doomy riffs has generally worked well in the past. That is very much the case again here, with the verses packed with Black Sabbath-esque weight as Hughes adds some grit and rumbling against Andersen's riffing. The later chorus feels a little more expansive, too, and it is one of the few moments on the album where Fridzema's keyboards take on a more prominent role. Shimmering synthy organ adds colour to the chorus, contrasting nicely with the slightly more restrained guitar riffing and Hughes' powerful vocals. Throw in a bluesy guitar solo, and more Sabbath touchstones are included - with the track being an overall highlight here as a result. Hot Damn Thing picks up the pace following the doomy previous track, with the snappy rocker sounding a little like the sort of thing which has filled Black Country Communion's albums over the years. Unlike many of the songs here which have gone for groove and atmosphere to make their mark, this song is a much more straight ahead hooky rocker - with an infectious main riff, plentiful bluey leads from Andersen, and vocal hooks from Hughes which lean towards the more anthemic. Lindy Hook adds some additional vocal harmonies to the chorus, and her voice adds some additional power - her screaming tone mixing well with Hughes to give the chorus some real shout-along energy. Throw in a bluesy guitar solo alongside all the leads showcased elsewhere, and the song is another highlight thanks to its infectious melodies.

Black Cat Moan is another track which opens with something of a spiky riff. The opening of the album's first song is recalled here somewhat, but overall this song maintains its propelling nature - and does not really morph into a groovier piece as Voice in My Head did. The song's staccato nature largely remains throughout the verses - with the spiky riff coming and going throughout, again acting as punctuation between vocal lines. There is still a groove to the song though despite the pace of the riffing, and as things progress, too, clean guitar countermelodies are thrown in which add a slight funky edge at times. The chorus is a little more expansive overall, with cinematic clean guitar melodies adding depth to Hughes' driving bass playing and full-bodied vocal display - and Andersen once again gets to show off later with some high-octane, bluesy soloing. This is not an album which suffers from being frontloaded, as this is the third late highlight in a row. Come and Go goes for a much more relaxed sound, with acoustic guitars and clean guitar melodies opening things up, over which Hughes lays down some gentler vocals. Despite some murkier moments throughout, this album is generally a hard rocker - and Come and Go is the only ballad here. Hughes has always sung these sort of songs well, and his soulful edge really comes to the fore here - particularly during the verses against a backdrop of acoustic guitar. The chorus is a little weightier, with the drums hitting harder, but the overall tone is retained - with acoustic guitars still forming the base of the track, whilst shimmering keyboards enhance the overall atmosphere. Later moments of the song utilise slow-burning guitar leads, too, meaning that many classic ballad tropes are included here. I prefer the more harder rock moments found throughout this album, but as a change of pace Come and Go works well - it may have worked better though if it was not the album's penultimate song. The album then comes to a close with Into the Fade, another somewhat more cinematic rocker with an expansive opening guitar melody and sultry verses which are built around Hughes' machine gun bass playing and surprisingly restrained vocal delivery. He sings the verses in a somewhat lower register than is typical for him - but as the song progresses this changes somewhat, with later verses seeing him sing in his usual style, whilst the chorus also sees him singing higher as harmonies add depth. The song also gets heavier as it moves along, too, with another doomy riff kicking in later on to create a much heavier bridge section. Generally this song is less riffy, with atmospheric guitar melodies and the bass driving everything, but this massive riff reintroduces some heaviness to the track. There are stronger tracks here, but I like Hughes' cinematic side - and the expansive sound and heavy bridge allow the album to end on a strong note. I am generally familiar with Hughes in other bands, and I have not explored his solo work that much in the past. I have heard a few of his albums, but Chosen is the first I have properly digested. I have been enjoying it a lot since it dropped, and his stamina and vocal power at 74 is something to behold. He has hinted that Chosen may be his last rock album, too, and if that turns out to be the case then it will be a strong way to bow out of the scene.

The album was released on 5th September 2025 via Frontiers Records. Below is Hughes' promotional video for Chosen.