Dokken

Much has been said about Don Dokken's vocal performances as he continues to tour in 2023, but back in the early '80s, he was a fantastic singer. What stands out to me are his ariose sensibilities. Often, when listening to "Tooth And Nail," my mind drifts to bands traditionally categorized as AOR or FM Rock as Don Dokken's vocals was more melodic in character rather than edgy or punk-influenced like the style of someone like Vince Neil or Stephen Pearcy.

Dokken, a band often associated with ballads (their biggest hits were all songs in a medium to slow tempo) represents a heavier side of hard rock than the average non-fan might realize. There are traces of what was happening on the other side of the Atlantic, with both the intro to "Without Warning" and the assertive title track sounding like something Judas Priest and Iron Maiden could have crafted around the same time. Overall, "Tooth And Nail" offers a diverse expression, ranging from hard-hitting NWOBHM to radio-friendly rock with hooky pop elements, as in "Just Got Lucky" and "Don't Close Your Eyes" - both in the mid-tempo-range where Dokken wrote much of their best music.

For me, "When Heaven Comes Down" combines their soft and edgier sides to absolute perfection. Its heavy guitar and rhythmic section leads up to pure melodic joy as Don Dokken is searching for answers ("I don't know who to believe...") before launching into a KISS-esque gang-chorus. Once again, it's the bluesy, Randy Rhoads-like guitar style of George Lynch that adds the signature Dokken touch.

On "Heartless Heart," they attempt something similar but without equivalent success. Fittingly for a song with such a (to be frank) dumb title, the music itself feels annoying and directionless, possibly representing the weakest songwriting on the album alongside another skippable moment in "Bullets To Spare".

However, most of the material on "Tooth And Nail" turns simple, repetetive narratives into enjoyable mini anthems. Listen to "Into The Fire", and you may find yourself hooked before Lynch and drummer Mick Brown have even finished the intro. This is the band at its best, with the song's addictive melodic qualities contrasted by chanty gang-choruses and brilliant guitar work by Lynch and an irresistible AOR-reeking bridge with vocal harmonies from bassist Jeff Pilson.

"Alone Again", the ballad written by Don Dokken almost a decade before the release of this album, is probably why most people perceive Dokken as a softer band than they actually were. As for the song itself, there's a good chance you'd be lying if you claimed you could resist its simple yet addictive hooks. And since it was still 1984, you could make a strong argument that Dokken was among the creators of what would become the power ballad template for the coming decade. The band reluctantly agreed to include it on the album, but it proved a wise decision as it reached #64 on the Billboard Hot 100. It remains the band's most-streamed song on Spotify, with over 42 million plays at the time of writing.

And if you haven't been impressed by George Lynch by now, just listen to the closer, "Turn Of The Action," where he arguably delivers his best performance of the entire album, effectively rescuing the song from becoming a forgotten deep track.

"Tooth And Nail" remains a more than worthy follow up to Dokken's debut and one where they found their true sound mixing elements of European heavy metal with the American corporate FM-rock of the day. Uneven at times, but with a clear vision of the direction Dokken was heading.