Dokken

Sometimes when main members exit rock bands, the group's sound changes significantly. This has not proven to the case with melodic metallists Dokken. Although six-string hero George Lynch was a major part of the group's initial success, his 1997 departure hasn't proven to alter the group's sound as much as originally believed, as evidenced by such subsequent post-Lynch releases as 2008's Lightning Strikes Again. In fact, from a production, sonic, and songwriting standpoint, the album could have been released in 1986, and Dokken's legion of hair-sprayed/fingerless leather glove-wearing fans would have undoubtedly snapped it up. Frontman Don Dokken still sings about love gone bad ("How I Miss Your Smile") while guitarist Jonathan Levin offers Lynch-esque riffs and solos by the bucket load (the album opening "Standing on the Outside"). Sure, you'll have heard it all before if you're a longtime Dokken fan. But with the resurgence of '80s metal sounds in the early 21st century, Dokken are no dummies, and they wisely stick to the sound that made them famous in the first place throughout Lightning Strikes Again. [A Japanese version was released with a bonus track, "Leave Me Alone."] ~ Greg Prato, All Music Guide