Around the keyboardist, singer, and composer Jürgen Dollase, Wallenstein established itself in the early 1970s as one of the major formations of German progressive rock, at the crossroads of symphonic rock and Kosmische Musik. Released in 1973 on the Kosmische Musik label, Cosmic Century marks a new stage in the band's evolution, gradually moving away from the long experiments of its beginnings in favor of a more structured writing without giving up its instrumental ambition. Enriched by the presence of violinist Joachim Reiser, the album blends piano, mellotron, synthesizers, guitar, and vibraphone in vast compositions like Rory Blanchford, Silver Arms, or The Cosmic Couriers Meet South Philly Willy, where symphonic lyricism and rock energy respond to each other with remarkable fluidity. Today considered one of Wallenstein's most accessible albums, Cosmic Century perfectly illustrates the richness of the German progressive scene of the early 1970s.