SYRIUS - Syrius (1st Album) +6 - AUT Enigmatic Remastered Expanded Edition - LISTEN - VERY RARE

Remastered edition (from Enigmatic) of the excellent debut album by a Hungarian jazz-prog-rock formation - recorded and originally released (1971) in Australia (on the label Spin - in the original, silver cover with a black logo), and only a year later in Hungary, as "Devil's Masquerade". This is fantastic, progressive playing with strong jazz influences - no worse than the work of Colosseum, Blodwyn Pig or Chicago Transit Authority - not to mention lesser-known groups such as Heaven, Hannibal, Samurai or Walrus. The band could excellently keep a balance between genres (often even brushing against heavy rock...) and to tell the truth, with the possible exception of the Czech Flamengo (LP "Kure v Hodinkach" from 1972), I do not recall better jazz-rock playing from the Eastern Bloc - this album is practically beyond competition! Unlike the old, mercilessly dull version, the new, 80-minute CD sounds excellent, very juicy, although some tape hiss remains. In addition fantastic recordings (mainly covers of well-known compositions - please look at the titles) made during the same Australian session are included. AN ABSOLUTE MUST! (JL)