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cHoclat FRoG — On Detour to Shortcut
(Bandcamp no#, 2023, CD / DL)

by Jon Davis, Published 2024-03-10

On Detour to Shortcut Cover art

Rainer and Tim Ludwig are back with their second album as cHoclat FRoG, carrying on from Snapshot (2021) with eight tracks which stand as individual entities rather than being part of a theme as on their debut. “Spaceloop” starts things off in fine fashion, and while its title may imply some kind of space rock feeling, it’s more akin to math rock. But labels aside, it’s a killer instrumental tune full of aggressive bass and guitar parts from Tim and killer drums and synth from Rainer. There are some times where the riff is slightly reminiscent of “Sound Chaser,” but it’s just a passing resemblance. Half of the album’s tracks are instrumentals this time out, while the others feature Rainer’s spoken or semi-sung vocals, along with a little backing from Tim. One track even features a couple of additional guitarists, Uwe Grunert and Dietmar “Musi” Appel. On the whole, they utilize a broader palette of sounds this time out, with expanded reliance on different keyboard sounds, and the result is a more satisfying album all around — not that Snapshot was bad in any way! Their music is not as scattered and bizarre as bands like Ni and PoiL, though there is some similarity in sound. This tightly arranged and meticulously played music that is complex both rhythmically and harmonically, but is not overly harsh or dissonant. There’s more variety in sounds than many bands operating in the math rock realm, though fans of the genre should find cHoclat FRoG to be every bit as mentally appealing as other bands. On Detour to Shortcut shows a band growing and is a sign that these guys will have even more to offer in the future.

Filed under: New releases, 2023 releases

Related artist(s): cHoclat FRoG

More info
http://choclatfrog.bandcamp.com/album/on-detour-to-shortcut

 

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