Chameleon (Helloween album)

Chameleon is the fifth studio album by German power metal band Helloween, released in 1993.[2] It is their most musically adventurous release, but also their least commercially successful, and last studio album to feature singer Michael Kiske and original drummer Ingo Schwichtenberg.

Chameleon
Studio album by
Helloween
Released31 May 1993
Recorded1992
StudioChateau du Pape, Hamburg, Germany, mixed at Scream Studios, Los Angeles, United States
GenreNeoclassical metal, hard rock, progressive metal
Length71:26
112:35 (with bonus tracks)
LabelEMI
Producer
Helloween chronology
Pink Bubbles Go Ape
(1991)		 Chameleon
(1993)		 Master of the Rings
(1994)
Singles from Chamelon
  1. "When the Sinner"
  2. ""I Don't Wanna Cry No More""
    Released: 21 September 1993
  3. ""Windmill""
  4. "Step Out of Hell"
    Released: 21 May 1993
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic [1]

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, instead being "a nutty amalgamation of Yngwie Malmsteen-ish weirdly refined classical/metal crossover, blues-y stadium rock, Brit pop, synth-heavy prog rock, folk, big band swing, some straight-up pre-Trans-Siberian Orchestra metal sprawl and — if you can believe it — more."[3]

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
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."First Time"Michael Weikath5:29
2."When the Sinner"Michael Kiske6:54
3."I Don't Wanna Cry No More"Roland Grapow5:11
4."Crazy Cat"Grapow3:29
5."Giants"Weikath6:34
6."Windmill"Weikath5:12
7."Revolution Now"Weikath8:04
8."In the Night"Kiske5:36
9."Music"Grapow7:00
10."Step Out of Hell"Grapow4:21
11."I Believe"Kiske9:12
12."Longing"Kiske4:10
Expanded edition bonus tracks
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."I Don't Care, You Don't Care"Weikath4:01
2."Oriental Journey"Grapow5:43
3."Cut in the Middle"Markus Grosskopf3:57
4."Introduction"Weikath3:52
5."Get Me out of Here"Weikath2:50
6."Red Socks and the Smell of Trees"Helloween10:48
7."Ain't Got Nothing Better"Grosskopf4:41
8."Windmill (Demo Version)"Weikath5:28

Personnel

Helloween

Guests

It is an interesting footmark, that three of the children of the children's choir are Aminata, Jazz and Sophie from Black Buddafly, who had been 12 and 13 years old, when they sang for Chameleon.

Charts
Chart (1993) Peak
position
Swiss Albums Chart[4] 30
German Albums Chart[5] 35
Swedish Albums Chart[6] 35

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 Wagener 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
  1. Chameleon at AllMusic. Retrieved 19 July 2019.
  2. "Chameleon". Encyclopaedia Metallum. Retrieved 19 July 2019.
  3. Justify Your Shitty Taste: Helloween’s “Chameleon”
  4. "Helloween - Chamaleon (Swiss Charts)". hitparade.ch. Retrieved 19 July 2019.
  5. "Helloween - Chamaleon (German Charts)". charts.de. Retrieved 19 July 2019.
  6. "Helloween - Chamaleon (Swedish Charts)". swedishcharts.com. Retrieved 19 July 2019.


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