ASTURCÓN

Named after a traditional horserace in the land of Asturians, Asturcon was formed in the spring of 1978 in Gijon by singer, multi-instrumentalist and composer Victor Carrizo along with guitarist Paulino Solana.The group apparently had a different line-up during its early days, but the classic quartet was settled by 1980 with Jose Carlos Mingla on keyboards and Juan Carlos Martinez on bass.They recorded their only album in just three days during September 1980 at Toni Martinez Studios, former guitarist of the Psych Pop band Los Bravos, but it was only released in 1981 on the Diapason label, a branch of the Spanish Dial Discos.

The album opens with the stunning ''Mayu'', a 12-min. opus of Asturian Folk Rock, composed as a symphonic suite, with endless changes and some Fusion flavors during the interplays.This piece is performed mainly on electric piano, synthesizer and electric guitars, passing through emphatic rhythmic lines and solos, but also offering some more down-to-earth moments with a pronounced folky flavor.The presence of bagpipes and the flute interplays are beautiful and the track is built basically on instrumental themes with only some sporadic vocals around.''Xareu en la 214'' has its own charm, much folkier than the opening piece with the intense bagpipes and the jazzy taste on piano and guitars, while ''El Ventolin'' is a pretty nice example of furious Prog Fusion with twists and turns, highlighted by the guitar moves of Salino and some nice flute and keyboard parts.''El galope del Asturcon'' is closer to the opening style, featuring multiple thematic variations in a dramatic, semi-symphonic mood, albeit with a rather harder approach.It has an epic sound with atmospheric passages and harder moments with electric guitars in the forefront, while the poetic ending section with the melancholic vocals and the depressive guitar solo is extremely moving.''Anada pa lo mio aidina'' is a laid-back Folk Rock instrumental, showing the bagpipes returning next to the electric piano in a melodic trip into the land of Asturia.''La coralina'' is somewhat split between happy Latin Rock and Prog Fusion with pleasant vocals and grooves but also some dense interplays on guitars and flute.

As with many bands from the region, like Crack, Tren or Trasgu, Asturcon had a short life, disbanding in 1982.Several years later Juan Martinez would appear in the line-up of the Jazz Rock band Zem.

Very good album and unique in its own way, one of the extremely rare releases from Spain to combine full-blown Prog with a fair dose of bagpipes and flute.Strongly recommended...3.5 stars.