Dokken - Under Lock And Key review
| Band: | Dokken |
| Album: | Under Lock And Key |
| Style: | Heavy metal |
| Release date: | April 1985 |
01. Unchain The Night
02. The Hunter
03. In My Dreams
04. Slippin' Away
05. Lightnin' Strikes Again
06. It's Not Love
07. Jaded Heart
08. Don't Lie To Me
09. Will The Sun Rise?
10. Till The Livin' End
Dokken had achieved moderate success with their second album Tooth & Nail which featured a few radio hits in the early '80s. This was the band's third trial and it was a charm. Under Lock And Key ultimately became the band's highest selling album and a piece of classic metal. The album is 21 years old and still a listenable album. Don Dokken's anthemic choruses matched with guitar virtuoso George Lynch's chainsaw guitar sound
Lyrically, nothing deep here but just great upbeat rock tracks and a couple ballads. Super-hit singles "In My Dreams" and "It's Not Love" are fun songs that feature above average guitar work. This is a metal record, there's no denying this. Don Dokken's vocals compliment the band and the songs they sing. His range isn't very high pitched but this is what set Dokken apart from other bands at the time.
The subjects on this album are more cheerful which is often times frowned upon by today's metal listening youth who apparently have forgotten that if it weren't for guys like Dokken, metal's torch wouldn't have been passed. An interesting thing that many people don't know is that Dokken has been considered an influence by bands such as Children Of Bodom, HammerFall, and Stratovarius. Put your personal issues with make-up wearing '80s bands aside and do what you're supposed to do as a musician and listen to the actual record to judge the album rather than looking at the cover. "Unchain The Night" is a fan favorite. "The Hunter" is an emotional rocker. "In My Dreams" has an awesome guitar solo. "It's Not Love" is a chainsaw guitar song. "Lightning Strikes Again" is probably the best composed song on the album. It's a classic metal masterpiece.
Rating breakdown
| Performance: | 10 |
| Songwriting: | 8 |
| Originality: | 9 |
| Production: | 9 |
Guest review disclaimer:
This is a guest review, which means it does not necessarily represent the point of view of the MS Staff.
This is a guest review, which means it does not necessarily represent the point of view of the MS Staff.
Rating:
8.4
8.4
|
Rating: 8.4 |
On Under Lock And Key Dokken broadened their sound an admittedly tiny bit, offering both songs that matched if not even exceeded the heaviness of Tooth And Nail and softer, obviously chart-leering ballads. The majority however is still made up by the familiar mid-paced energetic rockers one has come to expect and hope for and if anything on Under Lock And Key sounds different, it's probably the slicker production rather than the song writing. Whether that is a detriment is ultimately subject to the listeners personal preference and there is not too much of a point complaining as the new production did manage to fully break the band into the mainstream along with some crucial and, if one can believe the interviews, unwilling "adjustments" to the band's image. Read more ›› |
Comments
Comments: 3
Visited by: 27 users
| Iceland_Norway Posts: 263 From: Italy  |
Don Dokken have signed to me this Album together with the album Tooth and Nails a Vinyl first print  I love Under Lock and Key
---- Føroyar mítt land Tú alfagra land mítt Føroyar mín Móðir
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| NortheRnmost Posts: 55 From: Finland  |
Written by Iceland_Norway on 02.03.2012 at 23:05 Gosh, wish I could find vinyl version of Dokken records somewhere. All I have is "Beast from the East" cut-out release. I adore Lynch's guitar work. So underrated.
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| Iceland_Norway Posts: 263 From: Italy |
Written by NortheRnmost on 03.03.2012 at 15:41 And He signed it only to me. Other fans had have not the same. Don is a good person, but drinks a lot of Jack Daniel's who ruins the voice. I saw Dokken on tour with Kingdom Come in Rome, Italy, Europe. It was a blast.
---- Føroyar mítt land Tú alfagra land mítt Føroyar mín Móðir
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