Chameleon

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For other uses of the word, see chameleon (disambiguation).

Chameleon
Studio album by Helloween
Released	June, 1993
Recorded	1992 at Chateau du Pape, Hamburg, Germany, mixed at Scream Studios, Los Angeles, States
Genre	Progressive rock, hard rock, heavy metal
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
Allmusic link Sputnikmusic link
Helloween chronology
Pink Bubbles Go Ape (1991) Chameleon (1993) Master of the Rings (1994)

Chameleon is the fifth studio album by German power metal band Helloween, released in 1993. It is their most musically adventurous release, but also their least commercially successful, and last studio album (notwithstanding compilation releases) to feature singer Michael Kiske and drummer Ingo Schwichtenberg.

Background

Tensions within the band and its management resulted in an album that is highly eclectic in terms of its musical aesthetics, to the point that it has been rejected by the band's core audience as not being a Helloween album at all. This position is based on the notion that Helloween (arguably) created but, more importantly, had perfected the power metal sound.

Having failed to live up to the standard of Keeper Of The Seven Keys Part 1 and Keeper Of The Seven Keys Part 2 after Pink Bubbles Go Ape in commercial (and somewhat 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 atmosphere of the album is closer to progressive rock, with some pop elements. While some of these elements may have always been a part of Helloween's sound, they were not in the forefront of their sound and 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 the band's sound. In terms of production, this is arguably the most accomplished album of the Michael Kiske era, well produced with an epic sound full of different stylistic influences.

The album contains four singles: "Windmill", "When The Sinner", "Step Out of Hell", and "I Don't Wanna Cry No More".

The album was a failure both critically and commercially, and vocalist Michael Kiske and drummer Ingo Schwichtenberg were fired after the subsequent promotional tour. The band then recruited vocalist Andi Deris from Pink Cream 69 along with drummer Uli Kusch and continued in a direction more akin to their earlier works.

Track listing

• M - 1,2 also appears on the When The Sinner single.
• M - 3,4,5 also appears on the Windmill & Step Out of Hell singles.
• M - 6,7 also appears on the I Don't Wanna Cry No More single.

Personnel

• Michael Kiske - vocals
• Michael Weikath - guitar
• Roland Grapow - guitar
• Markus Grosskopf - bass
• Ingo Schwichtenberg - drums

Recording information

• Recorded in 1992 at Chateau De Paup in Hamburg, Germany
• Mixed in 1992 at Scream Studios in Los Angeles, United States
• Mastered at Precision Mastering, Hollywood, United States
• 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 are published by Zomba Music Publishers (LTD) S.F. USA

References