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Dokken - 1982 Breakin' The Chains
 DOKKEN - BREAKIN' THE CHAINS (1982, CARERRE) Don Dokken - vocals George Lynch - guitars Juan Croucier - bass Mick Brown - drums Background The history of Dokken came together at the outset of the NWLAHM, a.k.a the new wave of Los Angeles Heavy Metal. Taking their lead from their UK counterparts, were bands such as Ratt, Motley Crue, Malice, Snow, Quiet Riot, and a whole host of others. Playing in band called Xciter was fledgling guitarist George Lynch and drummer Mick Brown. They soon hooked up with singer Don Dokken (previously with Airborn), to play in his self named outfit. Don had flown over to Germany to secure a contract, which he did, and then asked Lynch and Brown to come onboard. To get this 'Breakin' The Chains' album released, they utilised the French label Carerre, and initially had the thing released in Europe first, where they became better known than in their hometown of L.A. The Songs Recorded in 1981 but released in 1982, it's hard to ignore such outstanding slices of melodic hard rock such as 'Seven Thunders', the title track 'Breakin The Chains', or the OTT firepower of 'Paris'. They pick up the tempo on racier numbers such as 'Young Girl', 'I Can See You' or the album closer 'Nightrider'. Elsewhere, my pick of the album is 'In The Middle' which just smacks of class, as does the perennial 'We're Illegal', while 'Stick To Your Guns' growls in Ratt approved fashion. Dokken stop and start a bit on 'Felony', but again, the melodies are abundant, and the guitar crunch suitably given the stamp of HM approval. In Summary When the band secured a deal with Elektra the following year, the whole album was re-released, with a different cover, and two of the tracks renamed. 'Paris' became 'Paris Is Burning', while 'We're Illegal' became 'Live To Rock - Rock To Live'. Personally, I prefer the original Carerre versions myself. The Dokken catherine wheel gathered momentum over the years, culminating in success, and their reputation as one of the eighties high flying metal acts was secured. And of course there were those ever persistent stories of personality fractures between Messrs Lynch and Dokken. Oh well, that's rock n roll for ya! URL: www.dokken.net Track Listing: 01 Breakin' The Chains 02 Seven Thunders 03 I Can See You 04 In The Middle 05 We're Illegal 06 Paris 07 Stick To Your Guns 08 Young Girl 09 Felony 10 Nightrider Related Articles: Dokken - 1982 Breakin' The Chains  Dokken - 1984 Tooth And Nail  Dokken - 1985 Under Lock And Key  Dokken - 2008 Lightning Strikes Again Embedded Videos: Dokken - 1982 Breaking the Chains (flash video format FLV) Copying of material without permission is not permitted. Posted by gdazegod
on August 16, 2003 ·
5 Comments ·
1709 Reads ·
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