Chinchilla

Chinchilla is a power metal band from Böblingen, Germany, active from 1988 to the present. The group forms part of the long-running German power metal scene and is associated with heavy, melodic, Euro-style metal rather than faster, more aggressive power metal approaches.

History

The band forms in 1988. By 1990 it records an album called No Mercy, although little is known about that release and it is not listed in the band’s official discography. After guitarist Udo Gerstenmeyer leaves, the group folds soon afterwards.

Four years later, Gerstenmeyer recruits a new lineup and records material that begins as a demo but develops into the Who Is Who EP. The band then goes through further lineup changes before reaching a more settled period, which leads to the release of Horrorscope in 1998.

Recordings and label history

Chinchilla signs with Metal Blade in 2000. That year it releases Madness, followed by another release in 2002 with the same lineup. In 2002 the personnel changes again, with three new members joining the group, and the band later releases Madtropolis in 2003.

Style

The band’s music is rooted in 1980s-style European power metal. Its sound is described as mid-paced and melodic, with singalong choruses, straightforward but well-built riffs, and occasional power-ballad material. It also records a cover of Kiss’s “I Stole Your Love”, which stays relatively close to the original. The group is also noted for writing a song titled “Heavy Metal” in 2003.