Dokken is an
AmericanThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
heavy metalHeavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in England and the United States...
and
hard rockHard rock or heavy rock is a sub-genre of rock music which has its earliest roots in mid-1960s garage and psychedelic rock and is considerably harder than conventional rock music...
band that was formed in 1978. The group accumulated numerous charting singles and has sold more than 10 million albums worldwide.
Dokken was composed of founder
Don DokkenDonald Maynard Dokken is a singer most famous for being the lead singer and founder of the band Dokken. He is known for his vibrato-laden, melodic vocal style which has made him an influential figure in American heavy metal. After enjoying mainstream success with Dokken, he parted ways with the...
on vocals,
George LynchGeorge Lynch is a Hard rock guitarist best known as a member of the band Dokken.-Pre Dokken:Lynch was born in Spokane, Washington and raised in the small town of Auburn, California. Guitarist Mark Kendall claims George started two hand tapping before Eddie Van Halen did...
on lead guitars,
Juan CroucierJuan Croucier is a Cuban-American heavy metal musician.-Career:Croucier attended South Torrance High School in Torrance, California. Formerly a bassist for the metal bands Dokken and Ratt, Croucier was also very briefly in Quiet Riot...
on bass, and Mick Brown on drums. In 1983 Croucier left Dokken in order to join
RattRatt is an American heavy metal band that formed in San Diego and enjoyed significant commercial success in the 1980s. The band is most notable for their songs "Round and Round," "Wanted Man," "Lay It Down," "You're in Love", "Way Cool Jr." and "Back For More." Though the group lost popularity in...
and was replaced by
Jeff PilsonJeff Pilson is an American bass guitarist.Pilson was a member of heavy metal bands Dokken and Dio. He currently has his own progressive metal group called War and Peace, which was formed in 1993, releasing two albums: 1993's War and Peace and 2004's The Walls Have Eyes...
. Currently, Dokken and Brown remain from the original lineup. After several personnel changes on guitar, Dokken's attorney Jon Levin stepped in to fill the role in 2004. In 2001, Barry Sparks replaced Jeff Pilson on the bass guitar.
In 2008, Dokken returned to the mainstream music scene with their first studio album in four years titled
Lightning Strikes AgainLightning Strikes Again is the tenth studio album by heavy metal band Dokken, following up the Hell to Pay album. It was originally scheduled for release on October 24, 2007 in Japan and October 29th worldwide, but was postponed until 2008...
. The album was critically acclaimed and it gave the band a return to the charts when it debuted at #133 on the Billboard Top 200 and became their highest charting album since 1995. The album's success has been attributed to its sound which is very similar to the band's material in the 1980s.
Early years (1978-1983)
Dokken was first formed around 1978 when Don Dokken teamed up with Jim Monanteras,
Greg LeonGregory Jay Leon is a Los Angeles hard rock guitarist notable for his stints in Quiet Riot and Dokken. He was also in a pre-Mötley Crüe band with Tommy Lee called Suite 19....
, and Mick Brown. Prior to this, Don had been playing club shows in the
Los AngelesLos Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the municipality of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123.445 inhabitants...
area billed as "Airborn," but had to change it to Dokken because another band with the same name had already acquired a record deal. In 1979, Don Dokken flew to Germany to sing background vocals on the upcoming
ScorpionsThe Scorpions are a heavy metal/hard rock band from Hanover, Germany, probably best known for their 1980s rock anthem "Rock You Like a Hurricane" and their singles "No One Like You", "Send Me an Angel, "Still Loving You", and "Wind of Change"...
album
BlackoutBlackout is the eighth studio album by the German heavy metal band Scorpions, released in 1982.Lead vocalist Klaus Meine had to undergo surgery on his vocal cords during the writing of the album and it was uncertain whether he would be able to record it...
in order to assist the band's vocalist
Klaus MeineKlaus Meine is a German singer, best known as the frontman and occasional rhythm guitarist of the hard rock/heavy metal band Scorpions...
who was suffering from a vocal ailment. While there, the band Accept was recording in another studio, and its manager was able to secure Don a deal with Carrere Records.
Breaking the Chains was first released with this label in Germany under the name "Don Dokken," but shortly thereafter, Don met up with
George LynchGeorge Lynch is a Hard rock guitarist best known as a member of the band Dokken.-Pre Dokken:Lynch was born in Spokane, Washington and raised in the small town of Auburn, California. Guitarist Mark Kendall claims George started two hand tapping before Eddie Van Halen did...
and Mick Brown, who were playing a band called Xciter at the time. With the addition of
Juan CroucierJuan Croucier is a Cuban-American heavy metal musician.-Career:Croucier attended South Torrance High School in Torrance, California. Formerly a bassist for the metal bands Dokken and Ratt, Croucier was also very briefly in Quiet Riot...
, Dokken finally had a steady line-up. Meanwhile in the United States, manager Cliff Bernstein discovered that Dokken was having success in Germany, and signed them in the United States. The band did an arena tour in the United States with
Blue Öyster CultBlue Öyster Cult is an American rock band formed in New York in 1967 and still active in 2009. The group is especially well known for songs including " The Reaper", "Astronomy", "Godzilla", and "Burnin' for You". They have sold over 14 million albums worldwide, including 7 million in the U.S.A...
in 1983, but when the tour was over the band was left with little money and was nearly dropped from the label due to the album's lack of success.
While the band was very popular in Europe during this time, they had not yet made it onto the charts in the United States. For
United KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe. It is an island country, spanning an archipelago including Great Britain, the northeastern part of Ireland, and many small islands...
rock fans, Dokken offered a tantalizing glimpse of the kind of slick, but still very heavy rock coming out of America. Magazines such as
Kerrang!Kerrang! is a rock music magazine published by Bauer Consumer Media in the United Kingdom. The magazine's name is onomatopoeic and refers to the sound made when playing a power chord on an electric guitar.-History:...
blazed the trail for Dokken in the UK.
Commercial success (1983-1988)
Juan Croucier left Dokken in 1983 to join the band
RattRatt is an American heavy metal band that formed in San Diego and enjoyed significant commercial success in the 1980s. The band is most notable for their songs "Round and Round," "Wanted Man," "Lay It Down," "You're in Love", "Way Cool Jr." and "Back For More." Though the group lost popularity in...
and was replaced by
Jeff PilsonJeff Pilson is an American bass guitarist.Pilson was a member of heavy metal bands Dokken and Dio. He currently has his own progressive metal group called War and Peace, which was formed in 1993, releasing two albums: 1993's War and Peace and 2004's The Walls Have Eyes...
. 1984 became Dokken's breakout year in the US with the release of the album
Tooth and Nail on September 13. The album contained several hit songs including "Just Got Lucky", "Alone Again", and "Into The Fire". The album sold over one million copies in the US alone and peaked at #49, while selling an estimated three million copies worldwide. On November 9, 1985, the band's third album
Under Lock and KeyUnder Lock and Key is the third studio album by heavy metal band Dokken, released in 1985 through Elektra Records.The album contains three singles; "In My Dreams," "It's Not Love," and "The Hunter" all became moderately successful, while the opening track, "Unchain the Night" also received some...
was released. It also sold over one million copies with the singles "In My Dreams" (#24), "The Hunter" (#25) and "It's Not Love". During this time in the 1980s, Dokken opened for such bands as
Judas PriestJudas Priest are an English heavy metal band from Birmingham, formed in 1969. Judas Priest's core line-up consists of bass player Ian Hill, vocalist Rob Halford and guitarists Glenn Tipton and K. K. Downing. The band has gone through several drummers, though Scott Travis has held the position since...
,
AC/DCAC/DC are an Australian rock band formed in Sydney in 1973 by Scottish-born brothers Malcolm and Angus Young. Although the band are commonly classified as hard rock and are considered pioneers of heavy metal, they have always classified their music as "rock and roll".AC/DC underwent several line-up...
,
AerosmithAerosmith is an American hard rock band, sometimes referred to as "The Bad Boys from Boston" and seen by some as America's greatest rock and roll band. Their style, which is rooted in blues-based hard rock, has come to also incorporate elements of pop, heavy metal, and rhythm and blues,, and has...
, and
DioDio is an American heavy metal band led by vocalist Ronnie James Dio, who formed it in 1982 after leaving Black Sabbath. In an interview, available on the special edition re-release of Holy Diver, Dio states that he never intended to begin a solo career. His intention was to form a new band with...
among others. In 1986,
Heavy Metal Parking LotHeavy Metal Parking Lot is a video documentary produced by Jeff Krulik and John Heyn in 1986.-Plot:Heavy Metal Parking Lot documents heavy metal music fans tailgating in the parking lot outside the Capital Centre in Landover, Maryland on May 31, 1986 before a Judas Priest concert .-Reputation:By...
, a documentary about concert goers before a Dokken and Judas Priest concert, was filmed and released.
Following a successful tour with
ScorpionsThe Scorpions are a heavy metal/hard rock band from Hanover, Germany, probably best known for their 1980s rock anthem "Rock You Like a Hurricane" and their singles "No One Like You", "Send Me an Angel, "Still Loving You", and "Wind of Change"...
, Dokken returned to the studio in December 1986 to record "Dream Warriors", a song for the movie
A Nightmare On Elm Street 3: Dream WarriorsA Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors was the third film in the A Nightmare on Elm Street series. The film was directed by Chuck Russell and starred Robert Englund, Patricia Arquette, Heather Langenkamp, and Craig Wasson.- Plot :...
. The track brought the band to the attention of many UK hard rock fans. The song was released as a single (
Dream Warriors"Dream Warriors" is a song written by Dokken members George Lynch & Jeff Pilson for the movie A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors. The song was released as a single / EP on February 10, 1987. Later that year it was remixed for release on their 4th album Back For The Attack...
/ Back for the Attack) on February 10, 1987. After this release, the band took nearly half a year off before returning to the studio to record the album
Back for the AttackBack for the Attack is the fourth studio album by heavy metal band Dokken, released in 1987.-Album Description:The album includes a remixed re-release of the song "Dream Warriors". The song was first released earlier in 1987 as the theme song for the movie A Nightmare On Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors...
. The album was released on November 27, 1987. It spawned the singles "Burning Like a Flame" (#20), "Heaven Sent" and "Kiss of Death" to become the band's most successful release, reaching #13 on U.S. charts. It also included a remixed version of the single "Dream Warriors" (#22), and the accompanying music video, which featured band members interacting with the film's characters, became popular on
MTVMTV is a cable television network based in New York City and launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs...
.
Back for the Attack became Dokken's third record to reach platinum status. Sculptor
Steve FiorillaSteve Fiorilla was an American artist born in Paterson, New Jersey, who lived and worked in Buffalo, New York. Throughout his career, Fiorilla emphasized the grotesque and surreal in illustrations, sculpture and fine art...
's customized writhing skeleton guitar was the highlight of another Dokken video.
After releasing Back for the Attack, the band toured as part of the
Monsters of Rock Tour 1988The Monsters of Rock Tour 1988 was a festival tour of the USA in 1988, headlined by hard rock band Van Halen as part of their promotion for their OU812 album. It formed the first section of the OU812 Tour, the main part of which followed immediately after Monsters of Rock 1988...
festival in the summer of 1988, along with
Van HalenVan Halen is a hard rock band formed in , USA in 1974. They enjoyed success from the release of their self titled debut album in 1978. As of 2007, Van Halen has sold more than 200 million albums worldwide and have had the most number one hits on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart...
,
ScorpionsThe Scorpions are a heavy metal/hard rock band from Hanover, Germany, probably best known for their 1980s rock anthem "Rock You Like a Hurricane" and their singles "No One Like You", "Send Me an Angel, "Still Loving You", and "Wind of Change"...
,
MetallicaMetallica is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California, formed in 1981. Founded when drummer Lars Ulrich posted an advertisement in a local newspaper, Metallica's line-up has primarily consisted of Ulrich, rhythm guitarist and vocalist James Hetfield, and lead guitarist Kirk...
, and
Kingdom ComeKingdom Come is a hard rock band fronted by Hamburg-born vocalist Lenny Wolf. The group's first album, Kingdom Come was that band's only international hit. The musical style on their debut was very close to the early blues-rock style of Led Zeppelin leading to a backlash from critics and the band...
. Recordings from their April 1988 tour in
Japanis an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, People's Republic of China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
led to the release of the live album
Beast from the EastBeast from the East is a live hard rock album / Sophie recorded in Japan in April 1988, during Dokken'sBack for the Attack album tour. Released on November 16, 1988...
on November 16, 1988, which went Gold in the United States and charted at #33.
Hiatus (1988-1993)
After the extensive 1988 tour, the band broke up due to creative and personal differences between Don Dokken and George Lynch. During this hiatus, Lynch and Brown formed Lynch Mob and recorded two albums:
Wicked SensationWicked Sensation is the debut album by Amercian rock band Lynch Mob.- Track listing :# Wicked SensationMusic-Lynch Lyrics-Logan# River of LoveMusic-Lynch Lyrics-Esposito, Logan, Lynch, Max Norman# Sweet Sister MercyMusic-Lynch Lyrics-Logan...
in 1990 and
Lynch Mob in 1992. Don Dokken also recorded a solo album, titled
Up from the AshesUp from the Ashes is a 1990 hard rock album by Don Dokken, best known as the lead singer of Dokken. The sound of the album was similar to Dokken's work with his former band. The album did not reach commercial success achieved by Dokken It reached the Top 50 on the Billboard 200 album chart in the...
in 1990, which spawned two singles. In 1991, bassist Jeff Pilson joined the
McAuley Schenker GroupMcAuley-Schenker Group was a band featuring core members Robin McAuley and Michael Schenker , a successor to Schenker's earlier Michael Schenker Group. The group released several albums before disbanding. Their debut album Perfect Timing was released in 1987, and yielded their first hit "Gimme...
for their 3rd album
M.S.G.M.S.G. is the third and final studio album from Michael Schenker & Robin McAuley's project, the McAuley Schenker Group. It was released in 1992.-Track Listing:#"Eve"#"Paradise"...
. Afterwards he joined
DioDiö is a locality situated in Älmhult Municipality, Kronoberg County, Sweden with 891 inhabitants in 2005.Diö is situated 10 km north of the town Älmhult.Diö's largest employer is the wheelchair manufacturer Rea Stolen Invacare...
in 1994 for the
Strange HighwaysStrange Highways is the sixth studio album by American heavy metal band Dio. It's also their first album since Ronnie James Dio and Vinny Appice's reunion tour with Black Sabbath.First released in 1994 on Reprise Records....
album. He also fronted the band War and Peace, while George Lynch released a solo album. Lynch's first solo effort,
Sacred Groove reunited him with Don Dokken for the writing of the track
We Don't Own This World. Don Dokken was also supposed to sing lead on the track, however at the last moment, Don was unable to attend the studio session and was replaced by
Matthew and Gunnar NelsonNelson is a glam metal band founded by Matthew and Gunnar Nelson . They had a No. 1 hit in the United States with " Love and Affection" during the week of September 29 1990...
.
Reformation (1993-2008)
After releasing
Up from the AshesUp from the Ashes is a 1990 hard rock album by Don Dokken, best known as the lead singer of Dokken. The sound of the album was similar to Dokken's work with his former band. The album did not reach commercial success achieved by Dokken It reached the Top 50 on the Billboard 200 album chart in the...
in 1990, Don Dokken wrote another solo album in 1993. Titled
Dysfunctional, the album was recorded and produced in Don's studio. However, when
John KalodnerJohn David Kalodner is a retired American A&R executive. His achievements included signing Foreigner, Boston, AC/DC, Peter Gabriel and Phil Collins to Atlantic Records in the seventies....
wanted to sign him for the album, he suggested that George Lynch be brought back into the band so that the album could be marketed as a Dokken album, and not another Don Dokken solo effort. Despite the fact that the tension between Lynch and Don Dokken was the cause of the band's 1988 split, the two agreed to put their problems behind them for the time being. The band re-united in 1995 along with Mick Brown and Jeff Pilson, with Lynch re-writing and re-recording the guitar solos on the album, which were originally conceived by Don. Dokken was signed with
Columbia RecordsColumbia Records is an American record label founded in 1888.Columbia is the oldest surviving brand name in pre-recorded sound, being the first record company to produce pre-recorded records as opposed to blank cylinders. Columbia Records went on to release records by an array of notable singers,...
, and the album still managed to sell over 300,000 copies despite the decline in popularity of similar bands during this time.
During the tour supporting Dysfunctional, however, old tensions between George and Don had resurfaced and the band once again began to split apart. During a
ColumbiaColumbia Records is an American record label founded in 1888.Columbia is the oldest surviving brand name in pre-recorded sound, being the first record company to produce pre-recorded records as opposed to blank cylinders. Columbia Records went on to release records by an array of notable singers,...
promotion for the new album in which the band was scheduled to play live on 120 radio stations, Lynch unexpectedly left the studio and refused to re-enter. The record company was forced to air the rehearsal tape that had been recorded earlier, and four days later the label dropped Dokken, presumably because of this and other similar incidents involving Lynch's behavior.
One Live NightOne Live Night is a 1995 semi-acoustic live album, by heavy metal band Dokken. The reunited Dokken recorded the acoustic One Live Night during their 1995 tour. This album went virtually unheard at the time of its release. MTV had no interest in any Hair Metal, so Dokken decided to do their own...
, a live acoustic album was released in 1996 by a new label,
CMCCMC International is a record label, a division of its parent label - Sanctuary Records. Based out of London, England, the label focuses mainly on classic rock, and classic heavy metal.-Notable artists :*Annihilator*Pat Benatar...
, and was followed with
ShadowlifeShadowlife is the sixth studio album by heavy metal band Dokken, released in 1997. It marks a change in the band's musical style, moving towards alternative rock...
in 1997. Don Dokken was dissatisfied with Shadowlife, an album in which George Lynch took total control and even went as far as to replace the original Dokken logo on the album. Don alleges that George intended to destroy the band with this album, reciting the following quote from Lynch in an interview: "This is the perfect record. This is gonna be the end of Dokken, and that is what I wanted to accomplish."
In late 1997, Lynch left the band abruptly when he refused to participate in the band's European tour. Needing a guitarist to fill in on the scheduled dates, Don Dokken looked to
EuropeEurope is a Swedish hard rock band formed in Upplands Väsby in 1979 under the name Force by vocalist Joey Tempest and guitarist John Norum. Although widely associated with glam metal, the band's sound incorporates heavy metal and hard rock elements...
guitarist
John NorumJohn Norum is a Swedish hard rock guitarist of Norwegian background and co-founder of the Swedish band Europe. Concurrent to his role with Europe, he also maintains a side solo project. Norum was born in Norway but he grew up in Sweden...
, who had previously played on his 1990 solo album and was familiar with the band's catalog, to help him finish the tour. Lynch tried to re-join the group just days before the tour began, but was told that he was "out" by the rest of the group. A
lawsuitA lawsuit is a civil action brought before a court of law in which a plaintiff, a party who claims to have received damages from a defendant's actions, seeks a legal or equitable remedy. The defendant is required to respond to the plaintiff's complaint...
followed in which Lynch sued the band for $1 million, but the band prevailed in the verdict. After the European tour, guitarist John Norum was unable to continue with the band as he had previously committed to another solo record. The band then hired former Winger guitarist
Reb BeachReb Beach is an American rock guitarist. He is a member of the bands Winger and Whitesnake.-Career:...
for the job, and recorded an album with this line-up in 1999 aptly titled
Erase the SlateErase the Slate is the seventh studio album by heavy metal band Dokken, released in 1999. It is the only Dokken album to feature former Winger guitarist Reb Beach.-Track listing:#"Erase the Slate" - 3:47#"Change the World" - 4:35...
to signify a new beginning for the band. Dokken released another live album titled
Live from the SunLive from the Sun is a live rock album recorded in 2000 at the Sun Theater in Anaheim, CA by heavy metal band Dokken. This album captures the reunited Dokken, minus guitarist George Lynch, in Anaheim on November 4, 1999, running through a live set of mostly greatest hits, plus a few of the newer...
in 2000 before the departure of guitarist Beach.
Beach, who wanted to work on some other projects and could not commit to Dokken in the long term, was replaced by John Norum, who was now in between projects and able to participate in the band's touring schedule. Bassist Jeff Pilson also left the band and was replaced by
Barry SparksBarry Sparks is the current bass player of the American Heavy metal band Dokken. Dokken made many hits in its years and are still going today.-With Yngwie Malmsteen:* I Can't Wait * Magnum Opus...
. In a 2004 interview, Don Dokken stated that Jeff left because "he wanted to do something different and didn't want to keep playing these songs over and over again." This line-up released the album
Long Way HomeLong Way Home is the eighth studio album by heavy metal band Dokken, released in 2002. Edited versions of the album feature a bright, shiny lighting effect around the nude girl's body on the cover.-Track listing:#"Sunless Days" - 4:20...
, but Norum suffered a hand injury during the band's 2003 spring tour of Europe in support of the album, and had to be replaced by Alex De Rosso, previously of the Italian metal band Dark Lord. That year, Dokken was featured in the
Metal EdgeZenbu Media is a media company located in New York City, United States and founded by Steve Bernstein. While the word zenbu means "everything" in Japanese the company is focused on the music industry, sporting the slogan "we live for music."- Print :...
Rock Fest tour along with
RattRatt is an American heavy metal band that formed in San Diego and enjoyed significant commercial success in the 1980s. The band is most notable for their songs "Round and Round," "Wanted Man," "Lay It Down," "You're in Love", "Way Cool Jr." and "Back For More." Though the group lost popularity in...
,
FireHouseFireHouse is an American hard rock band formed in Charlotte, North Carolina in 1989. The band reached stardom during the early 1990s with hit singles like "Don't Treat Me Bad" and "All She Wrote", as well as their signature ballads "I Live My Life for You", "Love of a Lifetime", and "When I Look...
, and other similar acts.
In the spring of 2003, Dokken embarked on an extensive tour of the
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
opening for
ScorpionsThe Scorpions are a heavy metal/hard rock band from Hanover, Germany, probably best known for their 1980s rock anthem "Rock You Like a Hurricane" and their singles "No One Like You", "Send Me an Angel, "Still Loving You", and "Wind of Change"...
and
WhitesnakeWhitesnake are an English rock band, founded in 1977 by David Coverdale . The band's early material has been compared by critics to Deep Purple but by the mid eighties Whitesnake had moved away from the early blues-rock influenced heavy metal to a more commercial hard rock style.They were recently...
. After the tour, however, guitarist De Rosso lost his work visa and had to return to Italy, at which point Don Dokken called Jon Levin who formerly played guitar on Doro's
Force Majeure, and also had previously met with the band and played a single show in 1998. Levin joined the band, and the line-up of Dokken, Brown, Levin, and Sparks would remain through 2008. Dokken released the album
Hell to Pay in 2004, which was seen by critics as a modern approach to the band's style. The band continued extensive touring in 2005 and 2006. 2007 saw the release of both a live CD and a compilation DVD. The CD, titled
From Conception: Live 1981From Conception: Live 1981 is a 2007 live album by heavy metal band Dokken.This album contains rare live recordings allegedly from 1981, before the band released its first album Breaking the Chains. However, the performance is more likely from December 1983, as the setlist exactly matches known...
, is a previously unreleased live recording from the band's early years which Don discovered in their master vault. The DVD release, titled
Unchain the Night, was first released on VHS in 1986 and is a compilation of the band's music videos along with interviews and other footage. The band also performed at the glam metal festival
RocklahomaRocklahoma is an annual 1980s-era hard rock music festival held in Pryor, Oklahoma. There were an estimated 100,000 people at the first annual Rocklahoma held in 2007...
in both 2007 and 2008.
Comeback (2008-Present)
On May 13, 2008, Dokken released their first studio album in four years titled
Lightning Strikes AgainLightning Strikes Again is the tenth studio album by heavy metal band Dokken, following up the Hell to Pay album. It was originally scheduled for release on October 24, 2007 in Japan and October 29th worldwide, but was postponed until 2008...
, which was met with increased commercial success and became the band's highest charting album in 13 years when it debuted at #133 in the United States. The album has been referred to as a return to the band's signature sound, and reviewers have said that the songs follow the classic Dokken formula. Don Dokken told interviewers that Jon Levin was the bandmate who wanted the band to make an album with the classic sound in mind, and remarked that the process was difficult, saying: "I had to get back in that mindset. This is what the fans wanted, and if I stay focused on that I would give them a straight-ahead Dokken record." During the spring and summer of 2008 in order to promote the Dokken's new album, Don Dokken and Jon Levin participated in dozens of interviews including Rockline,
KNACKNAC is an internet based heavy metal music radio station. It was previously a Los Angeles, California area FM radio station.-KNAC on 105.5 FM:...
, The Classic Metal Show, as well as a series of podcasts available on the band's website.
The band is currently in the middle of a summer tour in support of the new album with
Sebastian BachSebastian Bach is a Canadian heavy metal singer, best known as ex-frontman of Skid Row....
and
PoisonIn the context of biology, poisons are substances that can cause disturbances to organisms, usually by chemical reaction or other activity on the molecular scale, when a sufficient quantity is absorbed by an organism...
. While Sparks and Brown are still members of Dokken, they were not part of the summer 2008 touring line-up. Brown signed on to play with
Ted NugentTheodore Anthony "Ted" Nugent is an American hard rock guitarist and vocalist from Detroit, Michigan. He originally gained fame as the lead guitarist of The Amboy Dukes...
for the summer before Dokken was offered the slot on Poison tour, making him unable to tour in support of Lightning Strikes Again. Sparks is currently in Asia performing with a stadium act and is unable to tour with Dokken until he is able to get his wife, a resident of Italy, a visa. Chris McCarvill from
House of LordsHouse of Lords is a hard rock band from Los Angeles and is the final incarnation of Giuffria, managed by Gene Simmons- History :Gene Simmons signed Giuffria to his record label Simmons Record. He changed the band's name to House of Lords and replaced the band's original vocalist David Glen Eisley...
played bass and
Jeff MartinJeff Martin is a singer and drummer who has sung for the bands Surgical Steel, Racer X, Leatherwolf, and played drums for the bands Badlands, Blindside Blues Band, and RedSea.He has also played drums for Paul Gilbert, Michael Schenker, Dokken and P.K...
of Racer X and Badlands fame played drums for the 2008 tour.
Guest appearances and pop culture
Members and ex-members of the band have appeared on various tribute albums. George played guitar on "Anthem" on a tribute album to
RushRush is a Canadian rock band originally formed in August 1968, in the Willowdale neighbourhood of Toronto, Ontario, composed of bassist, keyboardist, and lead vocalist Geddy Lee, guitarist Alex Lifeson, and drummer and lyricist Neil Peart...
, while George Lynch and Jeff Pilson have appeared on tribute albums to
Iron MaidenIron Maiden are an English heavy metal band from Leyton in East London, formed in 1975. The band are directed by founder, bassist and songwriter Steve Harris...
.
Jeff PilsonJeff Pilson is an American bass guitarist.Pilson was a member of heavy metal bands Dokken and Dio. He currently has his own progressive metal group called War and Peace, which was formed in 1993, releasing two albums: 1993's War and Peace and 2004's The Walls Have Eyes...
also appeared as the bassist for
Steel DragonSteel Dragon is the name of a fictitious heavy metal band featuring real musicians, created to appear in the Warner Bros. movie Rock Star , inclusively being responsible for the movie's original soundtrack...
in the movie
Rock StarRock Star is a 2001 movie starring Mark Wahlberg and directed by Stephen Herek. The film also stars Jennifer Aniston. It was shot almost entirely in and around Los Angeles, but part of the film takes place in Pittsburgh....
(starring
Mark WahlbergMark Robert Michael Wahlberg is an American actor, rapper and producer of film and television. He was known as Marky Mark in his earlier years and became famous in his 1991 debut as a rap musician with the band Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch.-Early life:Born in the Dorchester neighborhood of...
and
Jennifer AnistonJennifer Joanna Aniston is an American actress. She became famous in the 1990s for her role as Rachel Green in the US sitcom Friends, a role for which she won an Emmy Award, a Golden Globe Award, and a Screen Actors Guild Award....
), which was loosely based on
Judas PriestJudas Priest are an English heavy metal band from Birmingham, formed in 1969. Judas Priest's core line-up consists of bass player Ian Hill, vocalist Rob Halford and guitarists Glenn Tipton and K. K. Downing. The band has gone through several drummers, though Scott Travis has held the position since...
. They also appeared in
DioRonnie James Dio is an American heavy metal vocalist and songwriter who has performed with Elf, Rainbow, Black Sabbath, and his own band Dio. Other musical projects include the collective fundraiser Hear 'n Aid...
's
Hear 'n AidHear 'n Aid was a joint effort from the heavy metal scene of the 1980s to raise money for famine relief in Africa. Within a year, the project had raised $1 million.- Background :...
in the '80s, and were featured prominently in the music video.
In the mid-80s Don Dokken sang lead vocals on the hit single for Scorpions drummer Herman Rarebell's first solo project "Herman Ze German and Friends". The song is a power ballad titled 'I'll Say Goodbye'.
Dokken claims that the
eponymous bandSpinal Tap can refer to:* Spinal tap, colloquial term for a lumbar puncture*Spinal Tap , a fictional hard rock band*This Is Spinal Tap, a mockumentary portraying the same band*This Is Spinal Tap , the film's soundtrack...
in the mockumentary
This is Spinal TapThis Is Tap is a 1984 mock musical documentary directed by Rob Reiner and starring members of the fictional heavy-metal/hard rock band Spinal Tap...
is an exaggerated version of his band.
Dwight Schrute, a popular character on the American TV series The Office, was a Dokken fan as shown in Dwight's web log entry from September 27, 2007. In this entry Dwight opened a time capsule from himself that was sealed in 1985, and it included a letter to his future self that read: "Dokken Rules. Dwight." The band is also named in
Stephen KingStephen Edwin King is an American writer of contemporary horror fiction, science fiction, fantasy literature, and screenplays. An estimated 300–350 million copies of King's novels and short story collections have been sold, and many of his stories have been adapted for film, television, and...
's novel
The StandThe Stand is a post-apocalyptic horror/fantasy novel by American author Stephen King. It re-works the scenario in his earlier short story, Night Surf...
when character Julie Lawry claims to have slept with the bassist from Dokken.
The band was also mentioned in the American television show
SquidbilliesSquidbillies is an animated television series about a family of anthropomorphic hillbilly squids, The Cuyler family, who live in poverty in the Appalachian region of North Georgia's mountains. The show is produced by Williams Street Studios for the Adult Swim programming block of Cartoon Network...
in episode 10 "Dick Hat Trouble" when a born-again Early Cuyler was writing Hebrew literature to hand out at a Dokken concert and says that "If Don Dokken is involved,its devily music", despite his son and the sheriff claiming that its a totally different line-up.
The band's logo makes an appearance in the MTV2 television show "Wondershowzen". In an episode in which Mother Nature's power are purchased by conglomerate CoCor, advertisements interrupting a news broadcast include, among other oddities, designer acne for one's child displaying your favorite band. An image of a toddler is shown with "Dokken" spelled out in whiteheads upon its forehead.
In 2009, Dokken appeared in a series of commercials for
SymantecSymantec Corporation was founded in 1982 by Gary Hendrix with a National Science Foundation grant. Symantec was originally focused on artificial intelligence-related projects, including a database program. Hendrix hired several Stanford University natural language processing researchers as the...
's Norton Internet Security 2010. The advertisements imagine a computer as a frozen chicken and Dokken as a malicious computer virus. Each ad features a different outcome, based on whether or not the "Dokken Virus" was allowed into the system.
Current members
- Don Dokken
Donald Maynard Dokken is a singer most famous for being the lead singer and founder of the band Dokken. He is known for his vibrato-laden, melodic vocal style which has made him an influential figure in American heavy metal. After enjoying mainstream success with Dokken, he parted ways with the...
– lead vocals, occasionally guitar (1976-1988, 1993–present)
- Jon Levin
-Early years:Jon Levin was involved with music very early on in life. He began playing piano at age 4, trumpet by age 7, and guitar at age 9. Instead of having formal lessons, Levin played along to his favorite musicians including Eric Clapton and later George Lynch from Dokken, whose place Levin...
– guitar (2003–present)
- Barry Sparks
Barry Sparks is the current bass player of the American Heavy metal band Dokken. Dokken made many hits in its years and are still going today.-With Yngwie Malmsteen:* I Can't Wait * Magnum Opus...
– bass, backing vocals (2001–present)
- Mick Brown – drums, backing vocals (1981-1988, 1993–present)
Past members
- Greg Leon
Gregory Jay Leon is a Los Angeles hard rock guitarist notable for his stints in Quiet Riot and Dokken. He was also in a pre-Mötley Crüe band with Tommy Lee called Suite 19....
- guitar (1977-1979)
- George Lynch
George Lynch is a Hard rock guitarist best known as a member of the band Dokken.-Pre Dokken:Lynch was born in Spokane, Washington and raised in the small town of Auburn, California. Guitarist Mark Kendall claims George started two hand tapping before Eddie Van Halen did...
– guitar (1981–1988, 1993-1997)
- Reb Beach
Reb Beach is an American rock guitarist. He is a member of the bands Winger and Whitesnake.-Career:...
– guitar (1998–2001)
- John Norum
John Norum is a Swedish hard rock guitarist of Norwegian background and co-founder of the Swedish band Europe. Concurrent to his role with Europe, he also maintains a side solo project. Norum was born in Norway but he grew up in Sweden...
– guitar (1997, 2001–2002)
- Alex De Rosso - guitar (2002-2003)
- Jeff Pilson
Jeff Pilson is an American bass guitarist.Pilson was a member of heavy metal bands Dokken and Dio. He currently has his own progressive metal group called War and Peace, which was formed in 1993, releasing two albums: 1993's War and Peace and 2004's The Walls Have Eyes...
– bass, backing vocals, keyboards (1983-1988, 1993-2001)
- Juan Croucier
Juan Croucier is a Cuban-American heavy metal musician.-Career:Croucier attended South Torrance High School in Torrance, California. Formerly a bassist for the metal bands Dokken and Ratt, Croucier was also very briefly in Quiet Riot...
– bass (1978–1982)
- Peter Baltes
Peter Baltes, born April 4 1958 is a German musician. He has made 14 albums as bassist with the legendary heavy metal group Accept, selling 30 million records around the world...
- bass (1977-1978)
- Gary Holland - drums (1979)
- Greg Pecka - drums (1978)
- Tom Croucier - bass (1980)
- Steve Barry - Bass (1978-79)
Temporary touring members
- Mikkey D - bass (2001 Sweden Rock Festival)
- Jeff Tappen - bass
- Frankie Banali
Frankie Banali, born November 14, 1951, is an American drummer best known for being the former drummer of the heavy metal band Quiet Riot. He was also the band's manager for their final decade. He also played drums in the heavy metal band W.A.S.P...
- drums (9-21-2002)
- Adam Hamilton
Adam Hamilton was a New Zealand politician. He was the first leader of the National Party during its early years in Opposition.-Early life:...
- bass (9-21-2002)
- Greg Smith
Greg Smith is a bassist and vocalist. He collaborated with Wendy O. Williams, Alice Cooper, Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow, Blue Öyster Cult, Dokken, Vinnie Moore, Joe Lynn Turner, Tommy James & the Shondells....
- bass (5-22 ~ 25-2005)
- Sean McNabb
Sean McNabb is an American actor, musician and singer.McNabb was born in South Bend, Indiana. At age 21, he became the bass player 80's metal band Quiet Riot, replacing Chuck Wright. As a bassist and vocalist, McNabb has worked with House of Lords, Badd Boyz, Great White and Rough Cutt...
- bass (6-30-2006, 2009 Tour)
- Chris McCarvill - bass (2008 Tour)
- Jeff Martin
Jeff Martin is a singer and drummer who has sung for the bands Surgical Steel, Racer X, Leatherwolf, and played drums for the bands Badlands, Blindside Blues Band, and RedSea.He has also played drums for Paul Gilbert, Michael Schenker, Dokken and P.K...
- drums (2008 Tour)
- Bobby Marks drums (2008 Tour)
- Vik "Vikki" Foxx - drums (8-2007)
- BJ Zampa - drums (2008 Tour)
Discography
EP albums
- Back in the Streets
Back in the Streets is a 1979 hard rock EP album by the American Heavy metal band Dokken.-Side One:#"Back in the Streets" – 3:15#"Felony" – 2:45#"Day After Day" – 5:35#"We're Going Wrong" – 3:35-Additional album information:...
(1979)
Studio albums
- Breaking the Chains (1983)
- Tooth and Nail (1984)
- Under Lock and Key
Under Lock and Key is the third studio album by heavy metal band Dokken, released in 1985 through Elektra Records.The album contains three singles; "In My Dreams," "It's Not Love," and "The Hunter" all became moderately successful, while the opening track, "Unchain the Night" also received some...
(1985)
- Back for the Attack
Back for the Attack is the fourth studio album by heavy metal band Dokken, released in 1987.-Album Description:The album includes a remixed re-release of the song "Dream Warriors". The song was first released earlier in 1987 as the theme song for the movie A Nightmare On Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors...
(1987)
- Dokken (Japan CD) (1994)
- Dysfunctional (1995)
- Shadowlife
Shadowlife is the sixth studio album by heavy metal band Dokken, released in 1997. It marks a change in the band's musical style, moving towards alternative rock...
(1997)
- Erase the Slate
Erase the Slate is the seventh studio album by heavy metal band Dokken, released in 1999. It is the only Dokken album to feature former Winger guitarist Reb Beach.-Track listing:#"Erase the Slate" - 3:47#"Change the World" - 4:35...
(1999)
- Long Way Home
Long Way Home is the eighth studio album by heavy metal band Dokken, released in 2002. Edited versions of the album feature a bright, shiny lighting effect around the nude girl's body on the cover.-Track listing:#"Sunless Days" - 4:20...
(2002)
- Hell to Pay (2004)
- Lightning Strikes Again
Lightning Strikes Again is the tenth studio album by heavy metal band Dokken, following up the Hell to Pay album. It was originally scheduled for release on October 24, 2007 in Japan and October 29th worldwide, but was postponed until 2008...
(2008)
External links
- Official Dokken site
- http://www.myspace.com/dokkenOfficial Dokken Myspace
MySpace is a social networking website. Its headquarters are in Beverly Hills, California, USA, where it shares an office building with its immediate owner, Fox Interactive Media, which is owned by News Corporation. MySpace became the most popular social networking site in the United...
page]
- Dokken photo gallery