Chameleon (album)

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For the type of lizard, see chameleon. For other uses of the word, see chameleon (disambiguation).
Chameleon
Chameleon cover
Studio album by Helloween
Released 1993
Recorded Chateau du Pape Hamburg, Germany 1992
Genre Progressive rock
Length 1:11:26 (w/o bonus tracks)
1:52:35 (w/ bonus tracks)
Label EMI
Producer Helloween and Tommy Hansen, assisted by Michael Tibes
Professional reviews
Helloween chronology
Pink Bubbles Go Ape
(1991)		 Chameleon
(1993)		 Master of the Rings
(1994)

Chameleon is the fifth album by Helloween, released in 1993. It is their most musically adventurous, but also their least commercially successful.

Contents

[edit] Background

Tensions within the band resulted in an album that is highly eclectic in terms of its musical aesthetics, to the point that it has been rejected by some fans as not being a Helloween album at all. This position is taken based on the concept that Helloween were only, and should only, ever be a metal band, a concept this album problematises.

Having failed to live up to the standard of Keeper Of The Seven Keys Part 1, Keeper Of The Seven Keys Part 2 and the preceding Pink Bubbles Go Ape in commercial (and some would say artistic) terms, Chameleon abandoned almost all elements of the power metal sound that the band had been instrumental in creating, and can be seen as an attempt to garner success in wider musical avenues like synthesizers, horns, acoustic guitars, the children's chorus of the Orchester Johann Sebastian Bach, violin, church organ, country music, grunge and swing, with participation of musicians like Stefan Pintev and Axel Bergstedt. The success was not to happen however, and vocalist Michael Kiske left after the subsequent promotional tour. Helloween then recruited vocalist Andi Deris from Pink Cream 69 and continued in a direction more akin to their earlier works. Nonetheless Chameleon has achieved a cult status among some fans in recent years, who praise its esoteric artistic merits.

The atmosphere of the album is closer to progressive rock, with some pop elements, than power metal. It's arguable that these elements had always been a part of Helloween's sound, but were not the elements most celebrated by the bands core heavy metal audience. Chameleon was the first and last time these diverse influences would make it to the front of Helloween's sound. In terms of production, this is arguably the most accomplished album of the Michael Kiske era, with an epic sound full of different stylistic influences. In recent years, some fans have conceded that Chameleon is a good progressive rock album, but cannot and should not be enjoyed as a power metal album, like the band's earlier and later works.

[edit] Track listing

  1. "First Time" (Weikath) – 5:30
  2. "When The Sinner" (Kiske) – 6:54
  3. "I Don't Wanna Cry No More" (Grapow) – 5:11
  4. "Crazy Cat" (Grapow) – 3:29
  5. "Giants" (Weikath) – 6:40
  6. "Windmill" (Weikath) – 5:06
  7. "Revolution Now" (Weikath) – 8:04
  8. "In The Night" (Kiske) – 5:38
  9. "Music" (Grapow) – 7:00
  10. "Step Out of Hell" (Grapow) – 4:25
  11. "I Believe" (Kiske) – 9:12
  12. "Longing" (Kiske) – 4:15

[edit] Expanded Edition Bonus Tracks

  1. "I Don't Care You Don't Care" (Weikath) – 4:01
  2. "Oriental Journey" (Grapow) – 5:43
  3. "Cut in the Middle" (Grosskopf) – 3:57
  4. "Introduction" (Weikath) – 3:52
  5. "Get Me out of Here" (Weikath) – 2:50
  6. "Red Socks and the Smell of Trees" (Helloween) – 10:48
  7. "Ain't Got Nothing Better" (Grosskopf) – 4:41
  8. "Windmill" (Demo Version) (Weikath) – 5:28

[edit] Credits

  • Vocals: Michael Kiske
  • Guitars: Michael Weikath
  • Guitars: Roland Grapow
  • Bass: Markus Grosskopf
  • Drums: Ingo Schwichtenberg

[edit] Other information

  • 1992 Recorded at Chateau De Paup Hamburg/Germany
  • 1992 Mixed at Scream Studios Los Angeles USA
  • Mastered at Precision Mastering Hollywood USA
  • Produced by Helloween and Tommy Hansen assisted by Michael Tibes
  • Mixed by Michael Wagner at Double Trouble Productions Inc. assisted by Craig Boubet
  • Mastered by Stephen Marcussen
  • Logo by Michael Weikath and Sleeve design by Michael Kiske
  • All songs published by Zomba Music Publishers (LTD) S.F. USA
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Helloween
Andi Deris | Michael Weikath | Sascha Gerstner | Markus Grosskopf | Daniel Löble
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