01. Voice In My Head
02. My Alibi
03. Chosen
04. Heal
05. In The Golden
06. The Lost Parade
07. Hot Damn Thing
08. Black Cat Moan
09. Come And Go
10. Into The Fade

74 years of age and Glenn Hughes is still performing at the very top of his game. He may well be the Chosen one, at least when it comes to hard rock.

The England-born rock legend isn't nicknamed the voice of rock for nothing; Hughes has one of the most prolific careers in rock history, having fronted and/or played bass for a variety of well-known acts, including the likes of Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, The Dead Daisies, and Black Country Communion. However, his solo career started way back in 1977 during the era in which blues and hard rock was at its peak, and this is where he really made a name for himself. To this very day, he continues to bellow out those classic hard rock anthems as if still in his early 20s, proving that age needn't be a barrier, and in doing so inspires generation after generation.

Glenn returns to his solo career for the first time since the acclaimed 2016 comeback album Resonate, ending a 9-year hiatus to present his 15th full-length album Chosen. Hughes as stated that he releases albums only when he has something meaningful to say, and so the songwriting behind Chosen is deeply personal. The themes are centred around love, hope, faith, acceptance, and the human condition, inspired by his own life experiences. The album is also inspired by an urge to live for the present moment, and to feel grateful for still remaining on Earth.

With that theme in mind, musically he takes us right back to his groove-oriented, bluesy hard rock roots, a nostalgic throwback to the glorious 80s, but the album also lives in the present when it comes to songwriting and production quality. The production is immaculately clean, fresh, and punchy in sound, without losing the authenticity of the classic 80s hard rock spark. The songwriting is nothing entirely new for Hughes; it's a no-nonsense hard rock approach with funk and blues influences, in the style that he knows best. Each of the 10 songs is crafted with precision, with nothing I'd personally consider to be filler material, and with no shortage of great hooks.

The performance from Glenn and his team of collaborators is once again top-notch. Even at the age he is now, he still possesses a great set of pipes, showing once more why his dynamic trademark vocal range has earned him the title of voice of rock. However, it's not just his memorable rousing choruses that are worth taking note of, but also his heavy, satisfyingly groovy bass work, which accompanies the stylish and thundering drums, delicious rock riffs, and exhilarating bluesy solos.

Overall, Chosen is a highly enjoyable album that for me ticks all the right boxes for any fan of traditional blues and hard rock. Hughes pulls out all the stops as he embarks on what could possibly be his last solo output, and if that were to be the case, going out on such a high note would be a fitting testament to what he's achieved during his long and illustrious career. If released 40 years ago, Chosen would be labelled a solid effort for such a talented and high-profile rockstar; coming decades later after battles with drug addictions, health issues, and various other struggles, for him to create an album of this standard now is arguably all that more impressive.

Performance:	8
Songwriting:	7
Originality:	5
Production:	9