COSMIC CENTURY

With the release of the first two Wallenstein albums Blitzkrieg and Mother Universe, the band were at their creative peak, progressively speaking, with an uncompromising Symphonic Rock style incorporating some of the most intelligently crafted rock music ever created.

On their third album, Cosmic Century (and for that matter, the two following studio albums) Wallenstein as a creative musical entity were obviously not at the end of their tether, even though the previous albums were hard acts to follow, due to their excellence.

The thing i like the most about Cosmic Century is the work of composer-keyboardist-vocalist Jurgen Dollase, his important role and obviously classically trained keyboard work the main pulse behind Wallenstein. As a creative musician in the seventies, Dollase had his fingers in a lot of musical pies (like with The Cosmic Jokers, Walpurgis, Sergius Golowin, etc.), but his work in Wallenstein is where he really shined the most. But he gives the other musicians room to express themselves, and their playing is refreshing, and interesting to listen to, as well, on Cosmic Century.

Dollase's vocals are done with great feeling, and that could be said of the great instrumental playing on this record, whether it be drums, guitar, keys or violin. There is intelligence in this music, but also, in the same breath, a lot of feeling and emotion. Like Triumvirat, Wallenstein know how to juggle these two things with neither at the expense of the other, a feat not easily done by a lot of rock groups.

There is no wasted filler in any of Cosmic Century, and the album fits together quite nicely, because of that. A wonderful listen, from start to finish. Five stars-an essential.