The Space Cossacks "Tsar Wars" 2000

A COSMIC and MELODIC Blast! The Space Cossacks, Washington, D.C.'s premier instrumental surf combo, formed in early 1996. The group consists of guitarists Ivan "StratoCossack" Pongracic and Mark English, bassist Catherine Gray, and drummer Doug Hoekstra. Two years of touring the East Coast led to their debut album Interstellar Stomp, which was released on MuSick Recordings in April of 1998. Their second album Tsar Wars (2000) picks up right where Interstellar Stomp left off. ~ Zac Johnson, All Music GuideWhile Tsar Wars is an amalgam of 1960s surf rock styles rather than a refreshingly new take on the genre, it's very well done and well played. Most of the songs are original, and credit must be given not only for writing material but also for picking a pretty obscure (to Americans) cover choice in "The Crusher," first recorded in 1963 by the fine Australian surf band the Atlantics. You can hear chunks of numerous major surf and instrumental guitar artists being blended here: the Ventures, Dick Dale, the Shadows, and the Tornados. There are also touches of science fiction and outer space ambience and the exotic Middle Eastern and Latin-influenced melodies that have always been integral to much surf rock. The sound is lean, crisp, and appropriately reverbed, the guitars picked with dexterous skill, and the generally high-paced program broken up by some lazy Hawaiian-influenced tunes. ~ Richie Unterberger, All Music Guidetrax:

1. Exolumina 2. Space Race 3. The Apes Of Wrath 4. Tsunami Tsurprise 5. Escape From Gulag 17 6. Sea Of Tranquility 7. The Defector 8. The Crusher 9. Cossack Rocket Patrol 10. The Jewel Of Duende 11. Departure 12. Beyond The Third Star 13. Tsar Wars 14. Fiesta Del Cossacapulco! 15. Tradewinds

…originally served by Eek! The Cat (R.I.P.)…