AZ ÖRDÖG ÁLARCOSBÁLJA (DEVIL'S MASQUERADE)

Syrius was formed by Zsolt Baronits in 1962, Hungary, mainly to play early beat music. The band profile changed in end of 1969. They started to play top quality progressive rock and jazz-rock fusion, when Miklos "Jackie" Orszaczky, Laszlo Pataki, Mihaly Raduly and Andras Veszelinov joined the band. They became popular in the scene of the hungarian underground quickly. In 1970, they met with Charlie Fisher producer , who took in Australia them , where they recorded their legendary album, called ''Devil's Masquerade'. The album is very short, 36 minute, but enough complex. Mihaly Raduly plays the sax and flute solos mostly. He is a virtuoso player, influenced by Roland Kirk and Eric Dolphy. First track, the funny titled "Concerto for a Three-Strigned Violin and Five Mugs of Beer" with short scat vocal, agressive reed solos and violin, of course. Next one , "Crooked Man" starts with disorted vocal of Orszaczky. Later vocal became normal, piano, sax and organ solos vary each other in close seven minutes. "I've Been This Down Before" is a bluesy song, might be compared with the Traffic. Miklos Orszacky's soulful vocal sounds like the cross of Stevie Winwood and David Clayton Thomas. "Devil's Masquerade" is organ and dual sax driven title with dramatic vocal. "Psychomania" has a slighty Traffic feel too. The short "Observations Of An Honest Man" is a sad ballad with flute and piano. The longest track is the last one "In The Bosom Of A Shout". It contains free jazzy, Coltrane influenced sax solos. We can hear unrestrained organ and piano runs too. Laszlo Pataky 's organ style is closer Larry Young than Emerson or Greenslade here. This is a very important album in the Hungarian's rock history . We can hear echoes from IF, Third era Soft Machine and Traffic, but the sound of Syrius was very original with bartokian traditions. Syrius got back in Hungary in 1972. After the australian succes, they played small clubs again, in contrast of Australia, where they played on big festivals. In 1973 they got an invitation the Opening of the Melbourne Opera, to perform, but the they couldn't go. The reasons were political and bureaucratic. The disillusioned Miklos Orszaczky left the group in 1973, and emigrated in Australia. He was a member of the Bakery and became very requested studio musician and producer. He died in 2008.