Wallenstein | pt

WALLENSTEIN were a band that transcended a number of musical styles during their decade-plus of existence, from early krautrock to symphonic to space rock toward the end of their existence.

WALLENSTEIN’s original lineup was centered around keyboardist/vocalist Jürgen Dollase and drummer Harald Großkopf, both of whom would go on to make names even bigger for themselves in the German music business (Dollase with THE COSMIC JOKERS and Großkopf as a founding member of ASHRA and later the CENTRAL EUROPE PERFORMANCE). The band was originally named BLITZKRIEG, but as they readied their first studio release the band discovered a prior band with that name so changed theirs and retained ‘Blitzkrieg’ as the title of that first album.

Großkopf would leave the band following the 1975 release of “Stories, Songs & Symphonies”, and was replaced by former ZOPPO TRUMP drummer Nicky Gebhard. This began a stretch of several lineup changes in the band, including the Genhard’s replacement of Charly Terstappen, who would himself move on as a member of the skirt band THE LORDS; the addition of Achim Reiser on violin and Dollase’s brother Rolf on flute; Jürgen PLuta on bass; and Gerb Klocker on guitar.

The band’s sound evolved from a straightforward kraut sound into a harder style reminiscent of AMON DÜÜL II or CAN, heavier on screaming guitar and piano with only sporadic mellotron for accent, and with the addition of violin and flute the band would adapt a truly symphonic sound for their later releases.

By the close of the seventies only Jürgen Dollase remained from the original lineup, and the band faded into oblivion following the 1981 release of “Ssssssstop!”.

WALLENSTEIN are legitimate entrants into the progressive archives for their place in krautrock music history, and for the long list of memorable albums they left behind. .