Wallenstein

German band that set themselves apart for being diverse and transcending a number of musical styles in more than a decade of existence. Early sound was krautrock, which led to symphonic, and to space rock toward the break-up of the original lineup around 1973. Constant throughout is keyboardist/vocalist Jurgen Dollase and he would continue through the seventies and early eighties fronting Wallenstein (while also pursuing bigger and better things).

"WALLENSTEIN's original lineup was centered around keyboardist/vocalist J?rgen Dollase and drummer Harald Gro?kopf, both of whom would go on to make names even bigger for themselves in the German music business (Dollase with THE COSMIC JOKERS and Gro?kopf 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"(Bob Moore-ClemofNazerth). The group also included bassist Jerry Berkers who appears on their first two releases before going solo (see entry). Also, famed Krautrock drummer Harald Gro?kopf would go on to bigger things while playing in Ashra and with Klaus Schulze. He is also now a noted sessionman/producer in Germany.

Though often criticized for being too much like symphonic-prog rock, and not enough Krautrock, their 'Blitzkrieg' album is one of the finest ones from that era.