Band : Dokken

Album title : Lightning Strikes Again

Label : Frontiers

Distributor : Rough Trade

Release date : 11/04/2008

Release : CD

When I reviewed this band's From Conception – Live 1981 album last year (check out the review, posted 22/03) for some facts), I completely overlooked to give you a serious history of the band. Due of course to the fact that I was somewhat oblivious of the fact that Dokken had indeed continued to live beyond the '80s (hey, feel free to skip the history part all together if that is not your thing. The review of the album can be found in the two last paragraphs)!!

To make a short-cut about the eighties, Dokken was formed in 1981, and split in 1989 after having grown to stadium play act, leaving us a total of 5 great albums [4 studio albums Breaking The Chains (1981/2), Tooth And Nail (1984), with Under Lock And Key (1985) and Back For The Attack (1987) multi-million sellers, and finally the live Beast From The East (1989)]. Before things came to a total clash between Don Dokken and the rest of the band, German label Repertoire released a cheap compilation of demo tracks and early live recordings from 1979 in Hamburg, recorded with the band in one of its earliest incarnations, with Don as the only member of the later line-up).

(next info taken/ reworked from rockdetector.com:) Following the split Don Dokken went solo (originally intending to continue under the same monicker, but thereof prevented when the other former members promptly filed a suit against it) to record the 1990 released album Up From The Ashes with John Norum and former Watchtower 's Billy White on guitar, and Peter Baltes (whom was just then being affronted with Accept 's splitting) on bass, and ex- King Diamond 's Mikkey Dee on drums. After some touring the band members each went their own ways. Drummer Mick Brown and guitarist George Lynch formed Lynch Mob who brought their debut with October 1990's Wicked Sensation with one Oni Logan as singer. The latter exited after some brief touring and was replaced by Robert Mason . Recordings were started with Glenn Hughes as vocalist but were then scrapped in favour of Mason . Wile working on the self-titled, 1992 released sophomore album, Lynch also found time to make a contribution to the L.A. Blues Authority guitar album (which ironically also featured both Highes and Logan ). During 1993 Lynch took time to record the solo album Sacred Groove , and when it came out it ensued Lynch Mob 's breaking up. Pilson got together with former Warlock guitarist Tommy Hendrikson to put together War And Peace He was engaged to play bass on Dio 's Strange Highways album in 1993 before a deal was struck for the 1994 release of the War And Peace album Time Capsule on the Shrapnel label. In between touring and recording, he then also briefly worked together on a Progressive Rock project with former Giuffria and Dio guitarist Craig Goldy and other Rock luminaries, but nothing came of that. He did however get to sing on Goldy 's 1994 Insufficient Therapy (again on Shrapnel ) album.

Don eventually found himself offered a recording deal with Columbia , the deal under the condition that the line-up be the one that brought the million-selling albums of the late '80s. So Dokken reformed, released a Japan-only self-titled 1994 album followed by 1995's Dysfunctional (which was actually just the same album with a re-shuffled track-list and the addition of two more songs). In celebration of the band's succesful reformation a mainly acoustic live album titled One Live Night was released in 1996, and even though Pilson took out time to record the 1996 Dio album Angry Machines and make a contribution to the (1997) self-titled Dreamcastle album, he was back for the recordings of the 1997 Dokken album Shadowlife ...which displayed a band that had shifted musically to accomodate the then generally ruling taste of the public at large. Lynch was still trying to keep Lynch Mob going as a side-project with Brown and, as interest came from Japan, hooked back up with Logan to start work on material. Of course, by October 1997 the old problems between the guitarist and singer had reared up their ugly heads again, and the first decided to leave. Dokken took in John Norum as temporary guitarist for their US tour with Enuff Z' Nuff and Pretty Boy Floyd , Lynch Mob meanwhile issuing the 3-tracked Syzygy EP (which was originally to be the title for Dokken 's lmost recent album).

As a permanent addition to the band then came Reb Beach of Alice Cooper and Winger fame, his first recorded weapon fact with Dokken being the 1999 album Erase The State , which was critically acclaimed as being Dokken 's return to their former glory thanks to a much toucher overall sound (for which Beach was the main responsible). But then Winger reformed during 2001, resulting in Beach 's departure, his replacement being the now familiar John Norum . Next to leave was Pilson , who confirmed on his personal website that there were unspecified problems within he Dokken camp. He was briefly replaced by Mikkey D. before Barry Sparks (who'd played with Yngwie Malsteen and Michael Schenker Group before) took over bass duties.

The new band issued the 2002 album Long Way From Home , an album which contained a lot of calmer stuff (in Japan the album was issued with no less than 3 bonus tracks) originally intended for a Don Dokken solo album. The act would be headliners for the 2-month Metal Edge Rockfest tour (which also included L.A Guns , Ratt , Firehouse , and Warrant ) during the Summer of 2002. Norum left the band in the middle of the European tour that followed, the official statement being that an falling amplifier had injured his arm. It was later revealed that Reb Beach was first asked to replace Norum (but Beach 's schedule conflicted) before they took in Italian guitarist Alex De Rosso (of Hot Honey , Dark Lord and S.R.B. ) to complete the European tour. More indications of the sad internal tensions within the band arose during the ensuing US Rock Fest 2002 tour, in spite of attracting considerable crowds, as towards the end of those dates longtime drummer Mick Brown exited after a physical confrontation with the hot-headed singer. The day after, the band performed with L.A. Guns bassist Adam Hamilton behind the drum kit. The tour's projected final gig in Los Angeles (the band's hometown) was simply cancelled.

Things were patched up again between the two, and in January 2003 the band, again with Beach as guitarist were set to tour with Scorpions and Whitesnake . Spicy detail, as it then turned out Beach had joined the Whitesnake line-up for that tour. In August Don revealed that upcoming album Hell To Pay was in the works, featuring John Levin (ex- Doro ) as guitarist. A week after it's release in July 2004, it was revealed (by Nielsen Soundfan ) that the album, in a sad contrast to the glory days, had only sold a mere 3735 copies in its first week. Then, in early 2005, George Lynch announced that a deal with major label Warner Bros (which also involved a VH1 television special and a major US tour) was in the making to re-unite the original Dokken band. It turned out the deal fell through due to...surprise, surprise..."internal issues"! Mainly due to disappointing sales figures, and wanting to get a bit of extra cash to make ends meet, Mick Brown (and bassist Barry Sparks as well, by the way) went on tour with Ted Nugent that Summer (something which he'd do again the next years, and which would lead to strong rumours in 2007 that he'd again left Dokken ). Around the same time rumours about a possible reunion of the classic line-up came up again, in spite of the fact that Pilson was on an extensive tour with Foreigner . In the Fall Don first signed up for the Acoustic Outcasts US tour alongside Ron Keel (Keel , Steeler ), Terry Ilous ( XYZ ), and Kelly Keeling , but pulled out for a similar tour event organized by VH1 .

Dokken the band ( Dokken/ Levin/ Sparks/ Brown ) spent time in the studio re-recording classic tracks to give 'em a modern touch. Sparks, who'd issued his second solo album Can't Look Back in 2004 (as a follow-up to 1999's Glimmer Of Hope ), went on a short tour of the US West Coast to promote the album during April 2006. Back to the band, who signed to Frontiers for distribution in Europe and with Rhino for America. The first product released under that deal was last year's From Conception: Live 1981 (more details in above mentioned review).

So now it's time to concentrate on the new album, and I have to say I was somewhat disappointed. The album opens great enough with "Standing On The Outside" , a song which nevertheless already displays the shortcomings of guitarist John Levin . With a somewhat more robust or bombastic guitar sound, that song would actually kick buts right-off, but then the band apparently chose for a slightly calmer approach albumwize. Each his own, I suppose, but it's a pity to find a song where all positive elements of good songwriting, melody, and vocals are indeed present, and then see what a soft track Dokken makes of it. If your musical taste and appreciation resembles mine somewhat, I guess you might become equally as thrown off as I was when hearing the backing vocals on ensuing track "Give Me A Reason" ! I mean, it's completely out of place somehow. I'm not sure how things coul've been done better, but I suppose that putting it back in the mix somewhat would've been óne of possible ways to go. As things stand however, I found myself (and much in contrast of my usual positive thinking) being somewhat apprehensively in search for more of such "wrong" moments on the album...but I'll admit right-away that the rest of the backing vocals are quite alright! Which doesn't mean that the songs in itself are though! Actually, if Dokken indeeds wants to sound a bit more up-to-date, the band is gonna have to do something about giving their guitar some more body. The riffs all sound a bit simple, and that wouldn't even be a problem if the sound wasn't equally so! The efficient songwriting makes up for a lot though, and some of the songs on the album are actually sparkling. In fact, after the obligatory several listening sessions you'll find the majority of the songs have a way in incrusting themselves into your mind, even if in thoughts you still imagine some fuller guitar sound to go with things. There's a couple of exceptions to that rule though, and 3 rd song "Heart To Stone" is a good example of combining relatively calm vocals (with an occasional slip to a slight bit of aggression in the leads) with simple yet effective rhythm guitar and good leads to make for what acxtually is the common denominator of the "heavieness" on this album. Shooting out on top of everything is the overall heavier track "Disease" , which even sees Don in a somewhat more aggressive mode (as well as the backing vocals). As Far as I'm concerned, this is the stand-out song on the album, and I wish (without hope to any positive response) Dokken could consider making a few more of these heavier songs on his albums. But then comes the real ballad of the album in the nice "How I Miss Your Smile" , which opens with a semi-acoustic guitar that turns into a more electrified one, and you even get some keyboards in the song! Not a bad ballad by standards at all, in spite of my previous comment of wanting more of the heavy stuff! The ensuing "Oasis" starts off in the "common denominator Heavy" style, but with balladesquely calmer vocals, and halfway you're even guested to a bit of acoustic guitar! "Point Of No Return" sees Don return to a somewhat more adrenalized vocal mode, in a songs which again has simple but effective heavy rhythm guitar enhanced by effective lead bits! Back to a ballad with the Scorpions -like "I Remember" ...I mean, even Don 's somewhat specific voice becomes remeniscent of Klaus Meine 's vocal signature at moments! The ensuing " Judgment Day" belongs to that "common denominator" in heaviness, where effective simple rhythm guitars bet backing by some sparce but equally effective lead guitar, with Don in a "common" mode getting sparce backing vocals which have now actually and luckily been set in the background of the mix. "It Means" is in the same vein, with a real great bit of atmosperic guitar after the rhythmically groovy opening. Otherwize the guitar on this track is somewhat more "expanded" and mostly rhythmic with a certain amount of groove to wonderful effect, and the solo is simply gréat! "Release Me" knows nice alternations of heavier and calmer passages (at a certain moment you'll find Don backed by somewhat tribal drums only), but is calmer overall, in the "common denominator" mode actually! Album closer "This Fire" again belongs to the category of songs with simple front guitar, and is ended with a bit of spoken word where... Don ?...uses the "f" word for some reason.   You can check out some of the tracks (or at least shards of it) on either myspace.com/dokken (full-lengths of 5 songs) or myspace.com/officialdokken (clips of 4, with the beautiful “Oasis” the only one not heard earlier; plus 2 track clips off Don Dokken as yet unreleased? solo album Solitary ), or at dokken.net's “Music” section (clips, same as on myspace.com/dokken, plus 3 clips off Solitary again). Check it out, and then dare to tell me the material excites you as much as in the days that this band got their guitar courtesy of one George Lynch!

The fact that the track (like the majority of the material on the album) is interrupted (twice) by a voice-over (to protect the album from   may be at the foundation of my finding some of the songs somewhat fleeting, but on the other hand I fear the songs just aren't inspir(ed/ing) enough. The rating is according!

83/100

Tony.