Dokken is back!! Ok, maybe you didn't hear me... DOKKEN IS BACK!!!!! No, not the dudes that recorded the Shadowlife fiasco, no, no, no... In My Dreams, Tooth And Nail, Kiss Of Death... GODDAMMIT!! DOKKEN IS BACK!!! Gone is George Lynch and along with him is all that alternative/grunge/modern bullshit that almost killed the band. So, while George is keepin' it real wit' da Hip-Hop nation and has managed to erase any credibility he had as a musician by creating the most horrible piece of shit CD in the history of music (Well, that and anything by Dave Matthews...UGGGGHH!!!), Don & the boys have moved right along and have picked up where they should have before, where Back For The Attack left off.

Now, I won't even mention Shadowlife, and Dysfunctional had its moments (especially the highly underrated song "The Maze") but none of them sounded like a true fired-up, balls to the wall, ass-kicking Dokken record. Until now, that is. Joining the Dokken boys on this run is Axe-Master Reb Beach (Winger/Alice Cooper) and he brought some fire with him. Reb rips through this CD like there's no tomorrow, yet he keeps sense of the structure and melody of the tunes which makes it even cooler. This CD gives us shred fans what we want. GUITAR, GUITAR, GUITAR!!! This album is trademark Dokken with shreddin' guitars, thunderous drumming, rippin' bass lines and awesome vocals. Don Dokken sounds great! And yes, all the "trademark" Dokken vocal harmonies that that Seattle piece of shit turned "Shadowlife" producer turned Queensryche guitarist Kelly Gray (who'll ruin Queensryche as well) classified as being "too 80's" are back. And you know, to that I say, - F*** YOU KELLY GRAY, the vocal harmonies ARE Dokken!! And I'm damn glad the vocals are back.

Here's the track by track review:
1. Erase The Slate - Classic Dokken. This Killer tune opens the album with good Rokken Fashion. Reminiscent of Tooth And Nails, this one says Reb Beach all over it. Check out the KILLER solo... 'nuff said.
2. Change The World - A hook-filled tune that features the classic Don Dokken growls as well as two awesome shred solos.
3. Maddest Hatter - (MetalGod's Pick) The 1st single is not only very (and I mean very) catchy, it's one of the best Dokken songs ever. You'll be humming the chorus the minute after you've heard it. It's classic Dokken, yer very innovative. It's like In My Dreams mixed with Too High To Fly. Check out (Wild) Mick Brown's incredible drum fills, and once again Reb Beach shines.
4. Drown - As the title suggests, a dark song, eery at the beginning with a very cool over the top guitar melody. You could say it may sound "modern", but the vocals are too great.
5. Shattered - This mid-tempo rocker has a very catchy chorus and great vocal harmonies. Did I mention that this disc features Reb Beach playing lead guitar? Check out the solo!!
6. One - Harry Chapin, Three Dog Night, and now Dokken. Well, this really rocks! Beach's guitar replaces the piano and Dokken growls away, and the awesome melodic vocal harmonies are specially dedicated to Kelly Gray.
7. Who Believes - Classic Dokken Ballad with a Beatlesque twist. A beautiful song featuring great vocal harmonies.
8. Voice Of The Soul - A hook-filled heavy tune with a funky bass groove and very cool vocals.Check out Reb with his melodic over the top soloing.
9. Crazy Mary Goes Round - Wild Mick Brown on raspy/soulful lead vocals. A fun, straight ahead rock n' roll tune. Very catchy, with a killer solo.
10. Haunted Lullabye - This is the most "modern" sounding track of the CD. Thus, it's my least favorite. It still has a cool axe solo, though.
11. In Your Honor - A beautiful acoustic ballad with great lyrics. Not wanting to end the with a mellow ballad, the boys included a hidden track... And that's all I've got to say about that!! A great ending to a great CD.

All in all a very solid effort, definitely worth my time and your $$$. So go out and buy it, and support guitar-oriented rock!! Thanks to Reb Beach, this CD will give all Guitar fans nocturnal emissions.

-MetalGod

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