After months – years? – of teasing, The Chameleons have finally revealed full details of their forthcoming fifth studio album, Arctic Moon. It comprises seven new songs – only seven, after 24 years? – and arrives September 12. The single “Where Are You Now?”, released a year ago as the first recording of the new official lineup, is the opener and just-released single and video “Saviours Are A Dangerous Thing” is the closer.

Of it, frontman Chameleon Vox (fka Mark Burgess, if you missed it, and adding a new layer of confusion to their name game) says:

I’m especially pleased with how this one came together. The initial idea was brought in by Stephen Rice, and from there, it became a full band collaboration. The melody and lyrics came quickly — influenced by what was unfolding politically at the time. There was chaos, and I couldn’t help but see the parallels with the 1930s — and the implications felt deeply troubling, not just for the country I now live in, but for the Western world as a whole.

Chameleon Vox @ Chameleonsband.com

From a fan point of view, it’s a better song than “Where Are You Now?”, capturing more of the classic Chameleons feel; if the band’s attempt to get away from the Fielding-Smithies guitar interplay extends as far as not relying on as much chorus and echo on new guitarist Stephen Rice’s parts, I guess I can accept it.