ON DETOUR TO SHORTCUT

What a brilliant post-metal-flavoured experimental, playful, mindful music. "On Detour To Shortcut", released as the second full-length album by a German funky duo CHOCLAT FROG (aka cHoclat FRoG), has called me back to the wondrous rock scene last yearend (sorry to mention such a personal issue but I had been too pressed with my real life to enjoy either prog nor rock). Anyway I've been overwhelmed by their vigorous instrumental techniques and phantasmagoric melody lines and rhythmic bases. Their heavy-metallic avantgarde psychedelia should be enough to encourage and delight me in a natural manner.

The starter "Spaceloop", that looks like the duo would have been aware of authentic space rock, is clearly drenched in heavily spacey fragrance. The melodic / rhythmic speed is so delicious and vivacious enough to awaken me vividly. Awesome is a diverse sound move by Tim's guitar play. And supportive drumming by Rainer is quite strict and rigid. Faces of some space rock legends will turn white as concrete walls. Quite suitable for the opening of such a fantastic fanatic album. On the contrary, the following "Bomb Alert" sounds stickier and slimier. Critical texture all over the song is interesting. Rainer's keyboard play is also fascinating. Regardless of the theme of the song, the audience will get pleasant and enjoyable with irregular palpitations. And what does the song titled "This Is My Wife" mean? Guess it would be for a wife working busy for her husband, sometimes getting fatigued in her life, and finally singing the praise of her family's existence. Tough but fine stuff really.

"Pollock" is another wonderful avantgarde article filled with Tim's grand guitar machinegun and Rainer's magnificent rhythm ground. Sounds like this is created with minutely constructed melody lines but they play this song 'dynamically and instantaneously'. Wondering if this style is their musical policy (maybe)? And the similar phenomenon can be heard in the following track "Bound By Instructions" featuring quasi-improvisational aggressive phrases and stabilized healthy ones. Such a majestic sadistic contrast is pretty amazing. Never bound by instructions but how completely flexible they are. Another psychedelic beginning is wonderful in "Pulp Stalking" notifying me of something dark, depressive, and anxious. Repetitive persistent paragraphs are magical and mysterious.

And the titled track ... is stuffed fully with their colourful musical essence. As the title says, shortcutting is not easy and we need a long roundabout route to avoid risky issues or work hard for making our goal. No no their 'roundabout' playing makes us feel good. Their excellent soundscape full of diversity and enthusiasm is not long nor roundabout, even if it's 8 minute long. We can be immersed in the combination of melodic quirkiness and rock authenticism. Great is detour. The last solemn "Reboot" reboots us with calm but kinky psych guitar liquid and synthesizer tremors. A short but intriguing track indeed. Yes they play complicatedly, poly-rhythmically, and strangely but their highly intentional energy should be digested pretty naturally.