Kingcrimsonprog
Blackfoot are a Florida based Southern Rock band started around 1970 by bassist Greg T. Walker and Singer/Guitarist Rick Medlocke (of Lynryd Skynyrd) Their style combines the flavor of Southern Rock with a mixture Hard Rock and Heavy Metal.
Marauder is the band’s fifth studio album. It was released in 1981 and has went on to become one of the fan’s favourite Blackfoot albums; released during the band’s creative and commercial high point, and spawning the famous tracks ‘Fly Away’ and ‘Diary Of A Working Man.’
This was to be the last Blackfoot album before they changed their sound dramatically with the inclusion of synthesizers and a change in songwriting approaches.
For the most part, the album is a mixture between storming heavy numbers like ‘Good Morning,’ ‘Too Hard To Handle’ and ‘Rattlesnake Rock And Roller’ with mid paced Hard Rock tracks and slower, quieter tracks like the delightful ‘Searchin’ as well as the aforementioned ‘Diary Of A Working Man.’
Stylistically, the album is a nice mixture of everything that the band are good at and the quality of musicianship and songwriting is excellent. The album, alongside Strikes and Tomcattin’ is often considered to be one of the three best albums that the band have ever released.
If you want some want some very fun music that takes the Southern flavor of Skynyrd, Outlaws and Molly Hatchet, but delivers it with the intensity of Iron Maiden and Judas Priest, then there is nothing so suitable to your tastes as the classic era of Blackfoot, which definitely includes this album. Overall, if you are interested in Blackfoot or want more Southern Rock but harder and heavier than usual, then you really ought not be without a copy of Marauder. Its well produced, balances heaviness and commerciality and is simply packed full of excellent music and live favorites.