Many have heard of popular rock bands of the 80’s such as Guns N’ Roses, Aerosmith, AC/DC, Van Halen, and Mötley Crüe. These bands brought life and style to the era and contributed to great advancements to music amidst others of the time.
These bands all make music that many love and continue to listen to till this day. A rock band from the same era that not many people talk about or know about is Dokken. Dokken is a hard rock band with powerful vocals and crunchy guitar riffs.
Dokkens lineup was solidified in 1981 with Don Dokken on vocals, George Lynch on lead guitar, Mick Brown on drums, and Jeff Pilson on bass. The band recorded their first record and started developing a name for themselves in and around the Los Angeles area.
One aspect of Dokkens music that is incredibly notable is Lynch’s sophisticated and powerful guitar pieces. He innovated unique methods for the time, using phaser and flanger pedals to create his guitar tone.
Lynch had a wide range of skills, one of which being able to go from writing acoustic ballands, to sharp, loud, and fast rock tunes that captivate listeners. Not only were his rhythm pieces catchy, but his solos rip scales and utilize squealing harmonics, getting the most out of what his instrument had to offer.
Another aspect of Dokken’s success in the 80s was Don Dokken’s lead vocal ability. He can sing softer and slower paced songs, or harder rock tunes, which I believe was very crucial in giving the band a wide variety of songs to write and record.
On many of their songs, Lynch opens up with a calm acoustic line followed by Dokkens voice. After the intro, the grit kicks in and powerful guitar and sharp vocals run the show for the rest of the song.
Some of Dokken’s songs that follow that exact pattern are Jaded Heart, Into the Fire, and Unchain the Night. They have a wide variety of songs that all have a similar feel, and I believe consistency in a band is important.
After releasing four consecutive albums in the 80’s; Breaking the Chains, Tooth and Nail, Under Lock and Key, and Back for the Attack, respectively, the band began to disagree on production and creative matters.
They stuck together and certain members had their own side projects, but the band lost their shot at longevity. I believe this is why they might not be as known today, because they didn’t have a long run like some other bands of the time.
Regardless of their downfall, those first four albums are awesome and packed with an insane amount of energy. Their presentation and attack on making a song is the epitome of rock music during the 80’s.
If you are into rock music and have never heard of this band, you should definitely give them a listen. There is a Spotify playlist attached to this article with some of my favorites to get you introduced to the band.
