At a time when the charts were ruled by pop-metal
acts, Dokken was a major attraction throughout the 1980s. With vocalist Don Dokken's captivating stage presence
and guitarist George Lynch's high-energy style, the band combined rockers such as "Kiss of Death" and power
ballads such as "Alone Again" in order to create a number of best-selling albums.
Dokken's roots date back to the late '70s, when Lynch,
along with drummer Mick Brown, teamed up with Don Dokken to form the Boyz. In 1981, Don moved
to Germany and was signed to Carerre Records. The band, now simply known as Dokken, recorded and released Breaking
the Chains, their first studio album, in 1983. While the record failed to retain a decent chart position in the United
States, the group was immensely popular in Europe.
After a tour in Germany, Dokken was signed to Elektra Records,
and Jeff Pilson became their first official bassist. In 1984, the band released Tooth and Nail, which featured
the hit songs "Into the Fire," "Just Got Lucky," and "Alone Again." With heavy MTV and radio airplay,
Dokken found themselves topping the charts worldwide, and Tooth and Nail eventually sold over one-million copies
in the U.S. alone. Following a tour with the Scorpions, the group recorded Under Lock and Key in 1985, which
had a similar success due to the hits "In My Dreams" and "It's Not Love." In 1987, the band released Back
for the Attack, which featured a track they had written as the subtitle for the third Nightmare on Elm Street film,
"Dream Warriors." The coinciding music video, which included scenes of the band interacting with the movie's characters,
was their most popular ever, and Back for the Attack became Dokken's third record to reach platinum status.
The album's subsequent tour resulted in a live compilation, Beast From the East, which was released shortly before
the band broke up in 1988 due to Don Dokken's and Lynch's creative differences.
After the disbanding of Dokken, Don pursued a solo career
with Up From the Ashes, and Lynch formed the Lynch Mob, releasing an album in 1990; both releases failed
to chart. In 1992, the band reunited, but it wasn't until 1995 when they signed with Columbia Records and released
Dysfunctional, which was met with harsh reviews and poor sales. Tensions once again seemed to hover around the group
as they recorded the live acoustic release, One Live Night, in 1996 under the CMC label. In 1997, the band released
Shadowlife, which was met with a similar response to their past two recordings. In 1998, Lynch left a second
time to reunite Lynch Mob, and was replaced with Winger guitarist Reb Beach for 1999's Erase the Slate.
This was followed in 2000 by another concert record, Live From the Sun, which captured the Beach lineup at Anaheim's
Sun Theater. Beach left the group and was replaced by John Norum, and the group recorded Long Way Home
for release in the spring of 2002. In 2003, ex-Warlock guitarist John Levin and ex-Ted Nugent and Yngwie
Malmsteen bassist Barry Sparks joined the group, resulting in the release of Hell to Pay the following year.
~ Barry Weber, All Music Guide
