CHAMELEONS Prepare for the Release of ARCTIC MOON
Heralded by a stream of overwhelmingly celebratory reviews, CHAMELEONS‘ first full-length album in 24 years, Arctic Moon is prepping for its release on September 12, 2025 via Metropolis Records. Containing seven new songs including the recent single “Saviours Are A Dangerous Thing” , a re-recorded version of the 2024 single “Where Are You?“, plus longer compositions such as the slow-burning epic “David Bowie Takes My Hand,” the new album has garnered a four star review in MOJO (“The Manc lizard king’s mix of head shop philosophy and mournful stadium jangle has aged well”), a 9 out of 10 review in Vive Le Rock (“It’s rare for a band to recapture the magic of their youth so ably, but that’s exactly what they have done here”), and an 8 out of 10 from UNCUT (““The muscular opener confirms they mean business, with further shape-shifting amid gothic jangles and a convincing anthemic passion recalling former moody heights, while the more sprawling tracks best illustrate their 21st century relevance”).
Although signaling something of a departure from the sound of their earlier albums, Arctic Moon nevertheless remains rooted in the same emotional depth, spirit and intensity that has always defined their output.
“There is an obvious maturity to the songwriting on this record, and anyone familiar with our past work will hear that this is a positive step forward,” bassist and singer Vox (Mark Burgess) has previously stated. “While we’re proud of the band’s legacy, we really wanted to forge something fresh while retaining that profound and imaginative quality we’re known for. We think that we have managed to do that and deliver a very strong record!”
Chameleons have spent the summer touring on both sides of the Atlantic, with their latest headlining US trek also incorporating a dozen dates with The Psychedelic Furs. Their fall North American tour kicks off September 26th in Seattle and hugs the West Coast with dates in Vancouver, Portland, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and more cities before wrapping up in Denver on October 9th. The Guardian reporting about their U.K. shows that the “gnarled angst and integrity of Manchester’s ultimate cult band remains intact.”
Long cited as a hugely influential act, having inspired the likes of Verve, Oasis, White Lies, The Slow Readers Club, Interpol, The Killers and Editors, among countless others and known for their transformative musical catalog and intense and emotionally charged live performances, Chameleons continues four decades in with four albums under their belt: Script of the Bridge (1983), What Does Anything Mean? Basically!‘ (1984), Strange Times (1986), and Why Call It Anything? (2001).
Their unique sound quickly captivated the public through their mix of melancholic yet energetic and powerful tunes, hypnotic, ethereal riffs, and the potent, timeless lyrical style. Chameleons are considered one of the most influential guitar bands of the ’80s and ’90s, contributing substantially to the post-punk, shoegaze and indie scenes. They are often regarded as one of the most underrated bands ever to emerge from Manchester, England.
Last year saw the band releasing two critically-hailed EPs – Where Are You? which was comprised of three new songs, and Tomorrow Remember Yesterday which contained five songs from the vault that were re-recorded, and kicked off a new chapter for Chameleons. Arctic Moon sees the band starting a whole new book.
Chameleons are Reg Smithies (guitar), Vox (bass, vocals, lyrics), Stephen Rice (guitar), Danny Ashberry (keyboards), and Todd Demma (drums). Arctic Moon will be released on September 12, 2025 via Metropolis Records and will be available on vinyl, CD and digitally at https://chameleonsuk.bandcamp.com/album/arctic-moon.
CHAMELEONS
ARCTIC MOON
tracklisting
- Where Are You?
- Lady Strange
- Feels Like The End of The World
- Free Me
- Magnolia
- David Bowie Takes My Hand
- Saviours Are a Dangerous Thing