Devil Music A-Z : Dokken

Dokken was one of the few bands from the hair metal era I really liked. I had seen articles on them in Circus magazine and a few tracks here and there after Tooth and Nail but I hadn't really payed much attention to them until I saw them open up for Judas Priest on my first ever concert. So many good songs that didn't delve into the let's go get crazy and laid lyrics of their contemporaries. Don Dokken actually could sing and George Lynch was always one of my favorite guitarists because he was self taught. Not one of these neo classical junkies like so many others of the time.

After the first break up I pretty much lost track of what they were doing though I did check out the reunion album many years later. It was ok but nothing like the stretch of 80's classics. I've seen them a total of three times live over the years, the last being just Don and Mick of the original band members.And always because they happened to be opening for someone else I was there to see. Regardless I dig them and it's too bad more bands didn't follow suit with what these guys had going on. Who knows, the L.A. scene might have lasted a bit longer if they had.

Draeden's Time Machine: Dokken

Where else do I start but with my favourite 80's Hair Band Dokken. When I was in High School this was the band for me. I used to blast my Dokken Back For The Attack cassette nonstop. It wasn't until I almost wore that thing out when I went back in time through their earlier works to check out the hits from Breaking The Chains, Tooth and Nail and Under Lock & Key.

I don't know; it was something about Don Dokken's voice, George Lynch's technical riffs and solos, Jeff Pilson's masterful bass fingering and "Wild" Mick Brown's almost Animal (muppet show) like attitude on his drum kit.

The song-writing was as cheesy as you could get, but no better or worse than anything else coming out of the Hair Metal scene at that time. Though I think "Back for the Attack" was when they started growing up, songwriting wise: video subject matter is a whole other story.

They wobbled back and forth video wise from the dark and atmospheric Heaven Sent to the completely campy and downright retarded Burning Like A Flame with its monster-from-George's-Guitar and the guys dressed as Firemen. The best of the worst was the Dream Warriors song and video that they wrote for the Nightmare on Elm Street series.

For the most part, they stayed together through those years with only George Lynch leaving because he and Don couldn't get along and going off on his own to form Lynch Mob. Nowadays it's not really Dokken anymore. Though they're still putting out music, some good, most of it awful, Don and Mick are all that's left of the original line up and that's probably because Mick wouldn't leave Don even if he crapped on Mick's face.

Still, I'll always have the music and music videos from their heyday and was happy to have the opportunity to see them live some years ago (again, with only Mick and Don as the original members), and they put on a great show, still would have liked to see them with Jeff and George there, since for at least a while George and Don kissed and made up - albeit only temporarily.

Here are some of my fav Dokken songs and videos starting off with my personal favourite, Heaven Sent.











You can learn more about Dokken at their Website!





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Rockin' with Dokken

Is it wrong that I know all of the song references in this vid? Of course it's not, because it's Dokken. Sadly I know some people that, if given the chance, would have a radio show dedicated to the greatest band in their mind too. And it would probably go something like this. Check it out. Thanks to Tr00 Nate from TNOTB for showing me this.

Dokken is a virus

Ya know, some rock bands have had some serious stories about debauchery on the road. I don't think any of them included something like this. Check out this funny vid with Dokken shilling for Norton Anti-Virus.



Personally I think a band like Motley Crue would have been more appropiate but I can be a nitpicking bitch so ignore me. This is still awesome.

*update* Here is the chicken wins version.

Metal in the Movies

I was tossing around some ideas for some posts and I figured I'd post some clips of movies involving metal artists that I've either seen or heard of. Most of these are good for a Halloween theme because lets face it, what's more metal then monsters and evil wizards, right......right? No? Whatever, enjoy these clips.

First up is the classic "Kiss meets the Phantom of the Park". A cult classic of the cheesiest kind, I remember seeing this a long time ago on the late night Creature Features show(yes I'm dating myself). If I remember right Kiss' acting was so bad they had to do voice overs for these guys in here. It didn't help.




Next up is The Dungeon Master starring Bull from Night Court and featuring W.A.S.P. as the evil band of choice. I vaguely remember seeing this crap on late night cable and the only reson I watched it was for W.A.S.P. I was actually able to find a clip from it, Youtube rules.



Here we have Alice Cooper killing some dude with a bicycle in John Carpenter's Prince of Darkness. This movie was supposed to be good but turned into a boring mess at the end. Satan as a tube of green liquid huh? Sure. Why not.



Want the perfect movie to go with this months theme? Try 1986's Trick or Treat on for size. I think I saw this at the theaters when it first came out. Seemed like a good idea at the time because 16 year olds are easier to please but yeah.....it sucked. Ozzy as a bible thumping preacher was kind of cool though to counterbalance Skippy from Family Ties. This pretty much killed the band Fastways career which was a shame though.



Let's flash forward a bit to 1998. Dee Snider decided to bring his character from the song "Captain Howdy/Horrorteria" to life and produced a movie called Strangeland. I have never seen this movie but I guess I should. I loved the Stay Hungry album and this song was really good and creepy but even moreso now apparently with this flick.
Here is a clip someone put together combining the song with the vid. Yes thats Dee Snider looking even worse then he did in Twisted Sister's glory days.

Caution graphic scenes of nudity and violence.I like boobies but this is sick and you may not be old enough.



Here's Dokken's video for Dream Warriors for the Nightmare on Elm Street 3 soundtrack. They weren't in the movie but heres the crappy tie in just the same. Deal with it.




Well that's all I could think of for now so if anyone has some suggestions let me know. I'll close with a little number I like to call.....the Timewarp.



*Update*
Apparently Ozzy was in Little Nicky, which goes good with the theme of this site. Too bad I didn't see it because 9 out of 10 people recommend this movie be forgotten in Adam Sandlers career.



And here is Dexter from the Offspring getting scalped in Idle Hands. Another movie I neglected to see but this time I don't know why. Yes I know they're not metal but it's close enough, you elitist snobs.



*Update of a Update*

Anybody remember Wes Craven's Shocker? About the guy who was sentenced to death and became electricity or something and killed people? Anybody?
Well no matter...here is Megadeth doing a cover of No More Mr. Nice Guy from that soundtrack. And yes the video is just about as memorable.