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<\/a>Former Dokken members George Lynch and Jeff Pilson have reunited again for the follow-up to The End Machine\u2019s well-received self-titled 2019 debut album. The band was originally born from a vision of the Frontiers Music president Serafino Perugino. He wanted the classic Dokken lineup to reform but with a great vocalist, (sorry Don). There\u2019s no \u201cWild\u201d Mick Brown this time around though, his younger brother Steve has taken over drumming duties, and vocalist Robert Mason (ex- Lynch Mob, currently in Warrant) returns to complete the line-up.<\/p>\nPilson again produced the album, I\u2019m a fan of his production style, his work with Last in Line (ex \u2013 Dio members) is superb and he has delivered the goods here with The End Machine. The classic Dokken sound is here in spades and Lynch is on fire as usual with plenty of shredding to keep his fans dribbling. It\u2019s good to see that they are giving the fans of the old stuff what they want.<\/p>\n
As Pilson says: “On this record, we set out to make the very best songs possible and are more than excited with how it turned out. We also weren’t afraid to let elements of the DOKKEN sound come through loud and clear. As a result, not only was it a very organic and collaborative process, but it was a helluva lot of fun as well!!! I feel these are some of the best songs we’ve ever written, and I’m blown away by all the performances. George was on fire throughout, Robert makes it clear he’s one of the very best rock vocalists around, and Steve delivered with all the passion and enthusiasm any band could ever desire. All in all, it is a musical statement we can and will stand behind for a very long time!!!”<\/em><\/p>\n The album opens with short introduction The Rising <\/em>which ends in a crescendo of screaming guitars before the first single from the album ‘Blood and Money’\u00a0<\/em>kicks in with a brutal drum intro from Brown. It\u2019s a great track with a shout along chorus and plenty of energy. ‘We Walk Alone’<\/em> is a more bluesy affair that chugs along nicely with a superb solo from Lynch. Dark Divide <\/em>is a mid-tempo rocker that highlights the vocal abilities of Mason, he has a great range and really is an asset to the band. There are some fine harmonies being thrown around and it\u2019s obvious that the entire band are great singers.<\/p>\n ‘Crack the Sky’<\/em> starts with of those George Lynch riffs, yeah you know the ones, think of ‘Kiss of Death’<\/em> from ‘Back from the Attack’\u00a0<\/em>or ‘Tooth and Nail’<\/em> and you\u2019ll be somewhere near. Another catchy chorus and more guitar gymnastics make this a standout track. ‘Prison or Paradise’<\/em> has another hooky chorus, the band has obviously concentrated on writing good songs and not just mindless widdling. ‘Plastic Heroes’<\/em> has a fantastic head-banging riff with drummer Brown showing how tasteful his playing is. His solid grooves keep the band in check. ‘Scars’\u00a0<\/em>is next up; the song has a huge chorus and sounds like a ballad from an episode of Headbangers Ball from 1989. Great stuff.<\/p>\n Shine Your Light <\/em>turns the riffage back up with more great work from Lynch. ‘Devil\u2019s Playground’\u00a0<\/em>starts off with some Hendrix style clean guitar before we are back on familiar ground with another mid paced banger. ‘Born of Fire’<\/em> is another track with a bluesy vibe that Mason\u2019s vocal style suits brilliantly. Final track ‘Destiny’\u00a0<\/em>finishes the album off with style, a chunky riff sets the pace for a full-on fist pumping anthem that would go down a storm live.<\/p>\n There\u2019s obvious chemistry between the band members and the songs on ‘Phase 2′<\/em> are very strong. Overall, a great hard rock\/metal album that I will certainly be returning to. The End Machine are the real deal and not just a rehashed version of Dokken, in fact Dokken fans have much to celebrate with this band. They are most certainly Back for the Attack!!<\/em><\/p>\n