It’s all too easy to succumb to hyperbole when describing an artist or an album. However, when it comes to Glenn Hughes – and certainly his recent career – it is impossible not to let the superlatives ring out. One of rock’s great frontmen, hell he even earned the nickname The Voice of Rock, Glenn Hughes is a living legend (as much as he himself might shrink from the term). Much of Glenn’s success lies in the fact that he has lived and breathed this world throughout his career. While not all of his albums may have been commercial or critical successes, it is impossible to escape the feeling that Glenn approached them with all the emotion, with all the soul, he could muster at the time. As a result, he stands out as a true artist, and his many successes owe at least a part to his few failures, such as they are.
For Glenn’s fans, the last two decades have been particularly special. Freed from the scourge of addiction issues that once threatened to derail both his career and his life, a sober, thankful Glenn has undertaken any number of remarkable projects, from the towering wonder of Black Country Communion to the sadly short-lived California Breed, producing some absolutely wonderful pieces of music along the way. Ever prolific, he has also indulged in a number of solo works, the most recent being 2016’s stunning Resonate. Now back with Chosen, Glenn is once more writing “about the human condition, love, hope, faith and acceptance. I write about how I feel on the inside and not externally” and the result is a spectacularly explosive, 10-track ride through Glenn’s myriad influences.
Chosen wastes little time as Glenn launches himself at Voice In My Head. Backed by Soren Andersen (guitar), Ash Sheehan (drums), and Bob Fridzema (keys), his stabbing bass drives a song that packs a remarkable sense of urgency into an introduction that is as much Audioslave as it is Deep Purple. With Glenn’s still-stunning vocals front and centre, it’s a hair-raising track that ties soul, funk, and heavy, heavy rock together into one beguiling whole. Nor is Glenn content to rest on his laurels, for My Alibi ups the ante, pairing a riff that is pure Rage Against the Machine with the sort of sublimely soulful vocals that only Glenn Hughes (and the late, great Chris Cornell) can bring to the table. With the album already shaping up to be a masterclass in hard rock, the title track digs into a similar vein of dark, prog-infused rock as vintage Queensryche, recalling some of the best moments from Operation Mindcrime with its understated guitars and airy keys. Then there’s Heal an almost breezy rocker that harks back to California Breed’s sun-kissed debut. Racing past, the album hits its halfway point with In The Golden, a more reflective number with glorious vocals, plenty of space between the riffs, and screaming leads from talented axeman Soren. A powerful, dynamic piece, it neatly wraps up the album’s first half on an emotional high.
Having captured the listener utterly, Glenn leads his band into one of the album’s heaviest songs with The Lost Parade. Based around a pulsing, Sabbath-laden riff, its closest antecedents would be the sole album from Heaven And Hell, and it sounds absolutely immense. In contrast, Hot Damn Thing not only has a title straight out of the Sammy Hagar playbook, it sounds like the sort of strutting rocker he’d have penned with Chickenfoot, and it’s clear that Glenn and his band had a lot of fun simply letting the groove flow on this one. The funk continues on the loose ‘n’ easy Black Cat Moan, which finds the band primping and preening as Glenn delivers one of his most lascivious vocals over the top.
Having delivered a vibrant, eclectic second half, Glenn slows the pace with the gorgeously Beatles-esque Come And Go. Wrapped in the quasi-orchestral strains of Bob’s Mellotron, it’s a haunting ballad drawn straight from the sixties and delivered with heart by the band. It then falls to Into The Fade to wrap things up on a surprising note, Glenn leading his band into an alt-rocker that wouldn’t have sounded out of place on a Smashing Pumpkins record, or perhaps Queensryche’s unfairly maligned Hear In The Now Frontier. With a taut, chugging verse and an expansive chorus, it brings the curtain down on an album that never fails to keep the listener hooked.
One of rock’s most passionate and authentic singers, Glenn Hughes once again excels on Chosen. With each of the ten tracks digging into a different facet of his varied career, influences range from Deep Purple and Trapeze to contemporary alternative rock and metal, each one reflecting Glenn’s ever-expanding interest in the wonderful world of music. Backed by an ace band and ably supported in his task of production by Soren, Glenn Hughes once again shows why he’s so revered and it’s a pleasure to spend fifty-minutes in the company of this endlessly talented artist. 9/10
Don’t miss Glenn on tour!
Tour dates:
14/10 – O2 Academy – Bristol, UK
15/10 – Guildhall – Portsmouth, UK
17/10 – KK’s Steel Mill – Wolverhampton, UK
18/10 – O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire – London, UK
21/10 – O2 Ritz – Manchester, UK
22/10 – Boiler Shop – Newcastle, UK
24/10 – Rock City – Nottingham, UK
25/10 – The Garage – Glasgow, UK
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