The classic line-up (L-R): Jeff Pilson, Don Dokken, George Lynch, Mick Brown
Dokken is a Heavy Metal band from Los Angeles formed in 1978. The band's name comes from the lead singer's surname, though this happened because their original name "Airborn" was already taken by another band that happened to have a record deal. They were primarily successful from 1983-87 for their albums Breaking the Chains, Tooth and Nail, Under Lock and Key and Back for the Attack. Some of their more popular songs include "Breaking the Chains," "Into the Fire," "Just Got Lucky," "In My Dreams," "The Hunter," "It's Not Love," "Burning Like a Flame," "Dream Warriors" and "Alone Again".Related Acts:
- Lynch Mob
- T & N (Tooth and Nail)
- Ratt
- Winger
- Europe
- Quiet Riot
- Dio
Members (current):
- Don Dokken - lead vocals, guitar occasionally (founding member)
- "Wild" Mick Brown - drums, backing vocals (founding member)
- Jon Levin – lead guitar (2003–present)
- Sean McNabb - bass guitar (2006 touring, 2009–present as full member)
Discography:
- Back in the Streets (EP) (1979)
- Breaking the Chains (1983)
- Tooth and Nail (1984)
- Under Lock and Key (1985)
- Back for the Attack (1987)
- Beast from the East (live) (1988)
- Dysfunctional (1995, May)
- One Live Night (1995, Nov)
- Shadowlife (1997)
- Erase the Slate (1999)
- Live from the Sun (2000)
- Long Way Home (2002)
- Hell to Pay (2004)
- From Conception: Live 1981 (2007)
- Lightning Strikes Again (2008)
- Broken Bones (2012)
- Heaven Comes Down (2023)
"Mr. Scary" appears on Brütal Legend, former bass-player Jeff Pilson (1983-2001) has lead a mildly successful acting career note , and the band provides the name of one of Vice's unique/command-special attacks in The King of Fighters.
Dokken provides examples of:
- Breaking the Bonds: The video to "Breaking the Chains."
- Car Song: Nightrider.
- Convection, Schmonvection: Subverted by the video for "Just Got Lucky."
- Horrifying the Horror: In the music video to the Dokken song "Dream Warrior" (a tie-in song to A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors), Dokken manages to scare away Freddy Krueger with the power of music, Freddy waking with a fright as though he was having a nightmare.
- Incredibly Long Note: The finale of "Lightning Strikes Again" doesn't so much have a single Incredibly Long Note as it has a series of them back to back, all belted out at a massive falsetto.
- Instrumentals: Mr. Scary, which could probably be called one of the band's heaviest pieces.
- Metal Scream: Don Dokken specializes in the higher-register variety.
- Once Per Album: Just about all their albums contain a song that's heavier than usual. Some examples include "Paris Is Burning," "Turn On The Action," "Lightning Strikes Again," and "Mr. Scary."
- Other Common Music Video Concepts: George Lynch busts through a wall in "Dream Warriors" so he can play a guitar solo.
- Playing with Fire: "Into The Fire"
- Power Ballad: "Alone Again" ended up becoming one of the biggest hits of the band's career.
- Punctuated! For! Emphasis!: "When the LIGHTNING! STRIKES AGAIN! And the lights go down! And you MIGHT! BE! NEAR! the END! When the LIGHTNING! Strikes again!
- Revolving Door Band: Seen here, courtesy of Wikipedia
. - Sea Monster: One rips out of a tin-foil ocean and reaches out at the Dokken letters on the album cover of "Tooth And Nail"
- Self-Backing Vocalist
- Video Full of Film Clips: "Dream Warriors", since it came from the soundtrack to A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors. The band fights off Freddy with The Power of Rock, until it's revealed that Freddy was dreaming the video.Freddy: What a nightmare! Who were those guys!?
