Dokken – Lightning Strikes Again

The eighties were a decade in music like none other. The decade saw a revolutionary change in music, that would see the rise and fall of some of the greatest musicians to grab a microphone. In the crowd of long haired, flashy musicians stood Dokken, easily one of the most accomplished hair metal bands of the time. After reaching the height of their success, the band lost their way in the early 90s when along with loosing their hair; musicians and music fans lost their taste in music.

After disbanding and regrouping, the band would eventually find themselves just hanging, lost and waiting to be found. With the departure of virtuoso guitarist George Lynch and bassist Jeff Pilson, it was assumed that the band would slowly just fade away and never be heard of again. But, frontman Don Dokken would get his band together and gear up a new line-up, and work long and hard on the band’s 2008 release Lightning Strikes Again. With the release, the band has made a more than welcome move of getting back to their trademark sound, making it a more vintage Dokken album than any of the band’s recent works.

One of the first questions that any fan of the band would raise about the album, is that without George Lynch is it the real Dokken? The answer would a resounding yes! George’s replacement Jon Levin has stepped as an excellent option, as he has matched the great guitarist in style, tone and technique. In fact on some of the songs such as the album opener ‘Standing On The Outside’ and ‘Give Me A Reason’, Jon has evidently stepped behind the creative mind of Lynch, and has emulated the man from scratch to finish.

For fans of the band who have been starved of the real Dokken sound, ‘Heart To Stone’ is as Dokken as it gets, with airy arrangements on the verses, screeching guitars and Don Dokken’s melodic vocals. All the talk about the adaptation of the classic sound shouldn’t be misinterpreted as calling the album one-dimensional. In fact the band has tried to infuse a lot of modern settings to their songs, which is most apparent on ‘Disease’ and to lesser extent on songs such as ‘Oasis’ and ‘Release Me’. These experiments though working in some ways for the band, seem to destroy the mood of the album that was worked up brilliantly during the initial tracks.

Dokken had the knack for belting out some heartfelt, hair-rising delicate ballads. With hits such as ‘Along Again’ and ‘Walk Away’ the band had set the parameters for the metal ballad that became a much-abused form of art in the late eighties. ‘How I Miss Your Smile’ and ‘I Remember’ although not in the same league as the above tracks, manage to hold their own and suggest that Don’s vocals really go well with the setting of the tracks. The songs ‘Judgment Day’ and ‘This Fire’ are both preceded by slower numbers, and being faster and harder numbers they automatically stand out due to the contrast.

Lightning Strikes Again couldn’t have happened at a better time for the band. There has been a growing interest in fast and furious music in recent times and made washed out bands from the 80s have been making comebacks. Hence, the chance that the album would suit the palates of the new generation has become even more likely. Lightning Strikes Again is easily the best Dokken album to be released since the early nineties. A huge improvement from the last few attempts made by the band, which sadly lacked direction.