David M Rangel / September 10, 2025 / Review
One of the most (arguably) anticipated and lucrative musical tours of 2025, is that of the recently-reunited English band, Oasis. The Mancunian quartet led by brothers Noel and Liam Gallagher broke up in 2009. But not before cementing their place in rock history as not only one of the most successful acts to ever come out of Britain, but also one that has flourished highly in America, a market that is relatively non-receptive to many British bands.
While it may be coincidental, it’s quite fitting that Manchester-based band, Chameleons (often referred to as The Chameleons), are preparing to drop their 2025 record, Arctic Moon, their first full-length release in 24 years. Unknown to many, Chameleons are unsung heroes and influencers of not only the 90s “Britpop” movement (a moniker mostly shunned by the bands who were actually a part of it), but current British rock music in general.
Forming in 1981, Chameleons drew up the plans with which later bands, including The Verve, Oasis, The Charlatans and American acts such as The Killers and The Flaming Lips, used to become more commercially-successful, moving beyond the cult status of Chameleons. The band’s influence on not only other bands, but entire styles including “shoegaze”, post-punk and goth, just cannot be over emphasized. Their early use of dual guitar solos and big, shimmering, atmospheric guitar sounds became staples of so many bands that were to follow.
Explaining his love for Chameleons 1986 album, Strange Times, Noel Gallagher stated, “It must have influenced my early years as a songwriter, because I hear me in it, everywhere!”.
With internal tensions, breaking up the band on a few occasions over the decades, Chameleons returned strong in 2021 with a lineup that included original members Mark “Vox” Burgess (Vocals, Bass, Lyrics) and Reg Smithies (Guitars). Longtime members Danny Ashberry (Keyboards), Stephen Rice (Guitars) and Todd Demma (Drums) round out the lineup who play on Arctic Moon, bringing Chameleons’ long established sound and mixing it with 2025 production techniques.
“Saviours Are a Dangerous Thing”, the pre-released single put out earlier this year, wastes no time in expressing opinions on the current political climate. As the breezy, guitars ring out as if they were reaching cathedral ceilings, while they emit echoes of a star-filled summer night, listening to The Cure, Burgess inspires the listener to think as his lyrics reflect on political leaders, (some of which may be very familiar to Americans) who regard themselves as ruling kings rather than officials elected by the people.
As you listen through Arctic Moon, one gets a sense of certain bands, that particular songs may have been influenced by. That is, unless you know Chameleons’ pioneering history and that it is likely the other way around. The Pulp-ish sounding “Free Me” has an almost narrated sounding lead vocal and lyrics with an English-sounding sensibility which end with a Pink Floyd/rock opera-style vocal repeating the declaration of “Free Me!”, before an abrupt end. The bright, electric folk guitars of “Lady Strange” shimmer with a sweeping cadence that sounds like one of the best songs that The House of Love never wrote. And the airy, wide open instrumentation and slightly off kilter vocal of “David Bowie Take My Hand” pays proper homage to the song’s namesake, as if the Thin White Duke himself had recorded it this century.
Arguably, the most epic and engrossing song on an album that has a number of melancholy, yet soaring tracks, is the commercial, yet still “indie” sound of “Feels Like the End Of The World”. It’s a tune that people of a certain age may have stayed up late to catch on MTV‘s “120 Minutes”, a show that defined musical cool in the 90s. The track exudes a certain musicality that evokes a feeling you got when you first heard a song in that 90s “Britpop era, yet it’s timelessness makes it feel undated and relevant for the here and now.
If Arctic Moon feels like a well-traveled trip taken many times before, it’s because it is. But it feels like a comforting, yet new kind of record. Fans of countless British and American Indie bands will likely find something they have loved, here. To hear the original architects of a certain sound coming together for a new record, decades later, is more than just a novelty. The prospect of a new generation of younger listeners finding these sounds is an exciting one, and one that is good for the resurgence of guitar-driven rock. Chameleons have been present in one form or another, the entire time. This record may be timed perfectly to help reignite a spark, in a style of music that has largely fallen by the wayside, in recent years.
The album is out everywhere tomorrow. Listen to the first single here.
The Indy Review 