cHoclat FRoG – What’s Next?
The chocolate frog is back. And, as you would expect from cHoclat FRoG, it doesn’t arrive carrying ordinary confectionery. Instead, it serves up a generous helping of chocolate-flavoured delight for the ears – occasionally quirky, sometimes wonderfully angular, and refreshingly free from the artificial sweeteners of mainstream appeal.
We’ve been following Rainer and Tim Ludwig for quite some time now. Both Snapshot and On Detour to Shortcut have already found their way onto our review desk, and even back then it was obvious that cHoclat FRoG were never going to become one of those bands polishing every rough edge in search of wider acceptance. Progressive rock, for this German studio duo, has never been about fitting expectations. It has always been about giving creativity as much freedom as possible.
With What’s Next?, the band’s third album, that philosophy remains completely intact. Anyone familiar with their previous work will immediately notice that something has changed. Not the attitude – thankfully, they’re still just as independent and delightfully unconventional as ever – but the way those countless musical ideas are presented.
From an unruly chocolate frog to a fully grown amphibian
cHoclat FRoG Band
The debut album possessed a certain rawness. At times it felt as if every musical idea had to be recorded immediately before it escaped through the nearest window. That energy was charming, unpredictable and wonderfully untamed. Album number two already sounded more structured and mature. With What’s Next?, cHoclat FRoG have finally grown into their own skin.
That certainly doesn’t mean the chocolate frog now wears a business suit, files tax returns on time and writes radio-friendly three-minute singles. Thankfully, none of that has happened.
The music remains playful, adventurous, occasionally heavy, sometimes beautifully gentle and frequently all of those things at once. The difference is that Rainer and Tim now know exactly when to unleash each idea.
Where their musical unpredictability once jumped out from behind a bush without warning, it now sits comfortably in a rather British armchair, calmly sipping tea while patiently waiting for precisely the right moment to pull the rug from beneath the listener’s feet.
That’s the real achievement of What’s Next?. The music feels far more focused without ever becoming tame. The countless stylistic twists no longer appear as isolated ideas but merge naturally into one coherent musical journey. The album sounds complete and confident while retaining exactly those charming rough edges that made cHoclat FRoG so appealing in the first place.
A musical identity without an instruction manua
Rainer wants you!
The band describe themselves as “gently, mad, heavy, strange, oblique, groovy and above all RiO-avant.” At first glance that sounds rather like someone emptied an entire dictionary of adjectives into a hat and picked a handful at random. Once you hear the album, however, it becomes surprisingly accurate.
Moving somewhere between Progressive Rock, Avant-Prog and Rock In Opposition, cHoclat FRoG never sound like they’re trying to satisfy a particular genre. Peaceful atmospheric passages effortlessly evolve into angular harmonies, unexpected rhythms, weighty grooves and wonderfully strange sonic ideas. Nothing stays where you expect it to for very long, yet the music never becomes complexity for complexity’s sake.
Rainer and Tim could easily place technical brilliance centre stage if they wished. Instead, every note serves the individual composition. That’s an important distinction. For all its adventurous twists and turns, What’s Next? remains remarkably inviting. Not because it’s easy listening—there’s simply too much happening for that—but because every unusual moment is driven by genuine musical curiosity rather than cleverness for its own sake.
Listening to this album, you hear two musicians who stopped worrying about proving anything a long time ago.
Even if, every now and then, the listener might briefly wonder whether they themselves still know exactly what’s going on.
A few new voices in the pond
Tim, the man withy many guitars!
For the first time, cHoclat FRoG have invited several guests into their musical universe. Thankfully, this wasn’t done merely to fill the credits with impressive names. Each guest appears because their contribution genuinely enhances the music.
Dangerous Ignorance features an unidentified female voice alongside additional vocals from Floyd Anthony. Monica Ludwig joins Floyd Anthony on The Poet, adding a theatrical atmosphere that perfectly complements the composition. Mira Ludwig contributes spoken passages to Joe Umpf.
None of these performances steal the spotlight. Instead, they quietly expand an already colourful musical landscape. That’s exactly how guest appearances should work—not decorative labels attached to a project, but meaningful additions to the songs themselves.
Instrumentally, cHoclat FRoG remain just as unconventional. Tim Ludwig handles bass, guitars, keyboards, programming and even provides the Bot voice on track five. Rainer Ludwig contributes vocals, drums, percussion, keyboards, programming, kazoo and jaw harp.
Yes… kazoo and jaw harp.
Although, to be perfectly fair, by the third track on a cHoclat FRoG album you’ve probably stopped being surprised by anything.
Peter Latsch also deserves a mention for lending Tim his Rickenbacker bass during the recording of Eau (O)—one of those small details that says quite a lot about the care and thought invested in this production.
Two years well spent
Frog-Jam-Bubble!
What’s Next? was created between November 2023 and February 2026, entirely within the band’s own Homerun Studios. Recording, engineering and mastering all took place there, with Rainer Ludwig handling the mastering duties while Tim Ludwig created the cover artwork.
Every composition and arrangement was written by cHoclat FRoG themselves, with lyrics shared between Rainer and Tim. Virtually every aspect of this album remained firmly in the hands of the duo—a fitting approach for musicians who clearly value artistic independence above all else.
In today’s world, where albums often disappear beneath tomorrow’s algorithms almost as quickly as they’re released, spending more than two years crafting a record might seem almost old-fashioned.
Good music, however, occasionally benefits from taking its time.
Spotify’s algorithms may disagree.
Then again, no algorithm has yet been spotted successfully performing Avant-Prog with a jaw harp.
Best played as one complete journe
Picking individual highlights proves surprisingly difficult. Not because there aren’t any, but because What’s Next? works exceptionally well as one complete piece.
The brief opener Reroot gently unlocks the door before the title track leads the listener much deeper into the band’s musical world. From there the album moves through countless moods while never losing its identity.
Every track has its own personality, yet every one unmistakably sounds like cHoclat FRoG.
That may well be the clearest sign yet that the band have truly discovered their own musical language.
Repeated listens continue to reveal new rhythmic ideas, hidden details and unexpected sonic colours. This isn’t an album designed for thirty-second attention spans.
It wants to be experienced.
From beginning to end.
If you find yourself impatiently searching for the chorus after half a minute, it may simply be negotiating something with the kazoo before returning later..
Track Listing
- Reroot – 02:18
- What’s Next? – 07:22
- Dangerous Ignorance – 05:52
- Cruel Ballad – 07:24
- Stampin’ and Toilin’ – 07:14
- The Poet – 05:55
- Joe Umpf – 07:05
- Eau (O) – 06:11
Final Thoughts
cHoclat FRoG have always been an unusual band. They have never chased accessibility, commercial trends or fashionable expectations. Instead, they’ve consistently allowed their creativity to roam wherever it pleased.
That spirit remains entirely intact on What’s Next. The difference is that Rainer and Tim now speak their own musical language with remarkable confidence. The rawness of the debut has matured. The promise of the second album has blossomed.
And album number three feels like the moment everything truly comes together. The music is still strange, adventurous and occasionally gloriously awkward—but it never feels directionless. Every rhythmic twist, every unexpected sound and every wonderfully peculiar idea appears carefully considered.
We’ve followed cHoclat FRoG for several years now, and it’s genuinely rewarding to witness that evolution. They’ve remained true to themselves without standing still—a subtle but important distinction.
The chocolate frog has grown up. Thankfully… …it hasn’t become tame. Which leaves only one question. What’s next?
Release
Band: cHoclat FRoG
Album: What’s Next?
Release Date: July 17, 2026
Genre: Progressive Rock, Avant-Prog, Rock in Opposition (RiO)
Personnel
Tim Ludwig: bass, guitars, keyboards, programming and Bot voice on Track 5
Rainer Ludwig: vocals, drums, percussion, keyboards, programming, kazoo and jaw harp
Compositions and arrangements: cHoclat FRoG
Lyrics: Rainer and Tim Ludwig
Recorded, engineered and mastered at: Homerun Studios
Mastering: Rainer Ludwig
Cover artwork and design: Tim Ludwig
Production period: November 2023 – February 2026
Digital Audio Workstation (DAW): Studio One
Guest Performances
- Dangerous Ignorance: additional spoken voice by an unknown woman, additional vocals by Floyd Anthony
- The Poet: additional spoken voice and vocals by Monica Ludwig and Floyd Anthony
- Joe Umpf: additional spoken voice by Mira Ludwig
Special Thanks
Special thanks to Peter Latsch for kindly lending Tim his Rickenbacker bass for the recording of Eau (O).
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Our Previous Reviews of cHoclat FRoG
We’ve been following Rainer and Tim Ludwig for several years now, and it’s been a real pleasure to witness the band’s musical evolution. If you’d like to explore their earlier releases before diving into What’s Next?, here are our previous reviews.
cHoclat FRoG – On Detour to Shortcut
Review by André Fedorow for Sound of Prog
Read the Sound of Prog review
cHoclat FRoG – Snapshot – Between Nietzsche and Primus
Review by André Fedorow for Betreutes Proggen
Read the Betreutes Proggen review
Written by: André Fedorow
Founder & Editor-in-Chief – Sound of Prog Magazine & Radio