For me Helloween has 2 faces, the speed/metal band with their keeper works and a very interesting one (musically) with albums like Pink Bubbles go ape, Chameleon and the Dark ride. I'm so sad that those albums didn't find the success near the fans and others
Here is a text that I found on the net which is very realistic about Chameleon :wink:
Paired with Pink Bubbles Go Ape, Chameleon is one of the two "lost" albums for Helloween, released during a time when the band had no US distribution and, at least in theory, had lost their direction. Yet strangely, Chameleon, though wildly different from any other Helloween release, is one excellent effort on the part of these German metal legends. The band unexpectedly took some time off from their well known and often imitated speed/power metal sound to record a metal tinged rock album with a healthy dose of swagger and arena sized sound.
Even though Chameleon isn't necessarily an innovative record, the surprising changes on the album are quite unexpected for a band like Helloween. The inclusion of horn sections, acoustic jams and stadium sized anthems was simply not something I would have expected from this particular band. But considering their talent, it is not startling that they can pull it off as well as they do on this album. Thought "First Time" starts off the album in a vein that is familiar territory for the band, "When the Sinner" is an immediate ear opener with a throbbing synth line and then the eventual horn section. "I Don't Wanna Cry No More", as well as "In the Night", is a solid acoustic based number that allow Michael Kiske to really shine as a vocalist. In fact, Kiske's finest performance with the band is on this album, although it turned out to be his farewell performance as well. "Crazy Cat" is where the band lets down their hair and allows some groovy boogie and swagger to play ball. "Revolution" has a huge sound as well as a superbly played snippet of "San Francisco (Be Sure to Wear Some Flowers in Your Hair)" that, though just a brief moment in the song, utterly pushes the song into a new dimension. "I Believe", regardless of your particular religious stance, is an uplifting, motivating song and one of the finer Helloween epics. "Longing" finishes out the album on a melancholy, orchestrated note. Overall this hour plus is simply a great listening experience. It is too bad that Helloween reverted to a more traditional "power metal" sound after Kiske left the band because it was evident that the band could accomplish nearly anything they wanted in any particular genre. Chameleon does actually live up to its reptilian namesake, but no matter the color, this is a phenomenal record.
Review by John Chedsey
Here is a text that I found on the net which is very realistic about Chameleon :wink:
Paired with Pink Bubbles Go Ape, Chameleon is one of the two "lost" albums for Helloween, released during a time when the band had no US distribution and, at least in theory, had lost their direction. Yet strangely, Chameleon, though wildly different from any other Helloween release, is one excellent effort on the part of these German metal legends. The band unexpectedly took some time off from their well known and often imitated speed/power metal sound to record a metal tinged rock album with a healthy dose of swagger and arena sized sound.
Even though Chameleon isn't necessarily an innovative record, the surprising changes on the album are quite unexpected for a band like Helloween. The inclusion of horn sections, acoustic jams and stadium sized anthems was simply not something I would have expected from this particular band. But considering their talent, it is not startling that they can pull it off as well as they do on this album. Thought "First Time" starts off the album in a vein that is familiar territory for the band, "When the Sinner" is an immediate ear opener with a throbbing synth line and then the eventual horn section. "I Don't Wanna Cry No More", as well as "In the Night", is a solid acoustic based number that allow Michael Kiske to really shine as a vocalist. In fact, Kiske's finest performance with the band is on this album, although it turned out to be his farewell performance as well. "Crazy Cat" is where the band lets down their hair and allows some groovy boogie and swagger to play ball. "Revolution" has a huge sound as well as a superbly played snippet of "San Francisco (Be Sure to Wear Some Flowers in Your Hair)" that, though just a brief moment in the song, utterly pushes the song into a new dimension. "I Believe", regardless of your particular religious stance, is an uplifting, motivating song and one of the finer Helloween epics. "Longing" finishes out the album on a melancholy, orchestrated note. Overall this hour plus is simply a great listening experience. It is too bad that Helloween reverted to a more traditional "power metal" sound after Kiske left the band because it was evident that the band could accomplish nearly anything they wanted in any particular genre. Chameleon does actually live up to its reptilian namesake, but no matter the color, this is a phenomenal record.
Review by John Chedsey
