Kingcrimsonprog
Tomcattin’ is the fourth full-length studio album by Southern Rock legends Blackfoot, it was released in 1980 and is one of the band’s harder and heavier albums.
The band, who hail from Jacksonville Florida and are lead by Rickie Medlocke (Lynyrd Skynyrd) deliver a brand of Southern Rock flavoured music only focused with an almost Heavy Metal intensity.
For most fans, the band’s pinnacle is always considered to be the three studio albums Strikes, Tomcattin’ and Marauder, in addition to the incendiary live album, Highway Song Live. These albums represent the band’s artistic and commercial best, before industry politics and shifting musical climates would change Blackfoot from a big deal set for stardom into a band that you discover when you get into other artists from the same genre.
While Strikes is more authentic to the genre’s Skynyrd influence, and Marauder is more radio friendly and commercial, Tomcattin’ is the heavy moment in between that maintains some of the Southern Feel, hints at the catchy and melodic future and lays down a furious metallic backbone all at the same time.
Tracks like ‘Fox Chase’ and ‘Warped’ are fast and aggressive, ‘Street Fighter’ is a mid paced rock number and ‘Spendin Cabbage’ is the one acoustic track on there.
So if you like the heavier moments from bands like Lynyrd Skynyrd, The Allman Brothers and Molly Hatchet or would like to hear what a band like Judas Priest or Scorpions would’ve sounded like with a Southern edge then give Blackfoot a try, and if you want a direct and heavy Blackfoot album then pick up a copy of Tomcattin.