Dokken arrived on the heavy metal scene in a big way in the early 1980s with Breaking the Chains (1983), but Tooth & Nail (1984), for many, is definitive Dokken. Until I joined YourMusic.com in December, I wasn't aware that Dokken had released any other albums but Under Lock and Key (1985). I was pleased to discover that Dokken has indeed been releasing albums all this time, and especially pleased to find Hell to Pay was released just over a year ago (2004).
Another epinions.com reviewer writes that this isn't your dad's Dokken. In this case, I'm the dad, and I'd venture to say that Hell to Pay pleasantly hearkens back to Dokken's early work, exploring similar themes but with a mature, considered view. This disc will likely be remembered as some of Dokken's best cuts, easily measuring up to Tooth & Nail and Under Lock & Key:
The Last Goodbye
Don't Bring Me Down
Escape
Haunted
Prozac Nation
Care for You
Better Off Before
Still I'm Sad
I Surrender
Letter to Home
Can You See
Care for You (Unplugged)
"The Last Goodbye" is easily my favorite track on Hell to Pay. Not a ballad, but haunting with an eerily dream-like opening and memorable vocals on the chorus. In fact, I could listen to the chorus over and over all day long. I like it that much. Ironic that "The Last Goodbye" kicks off this disc. But then, Dokken has been a band of ironies, reversals, and dualities!
"Don't Bring Me Down" is nothing like ELO's song of the same title, though of course the meaning is the same. Plenty of patent heavy metal steel guitar screeches and crooning in Dokken's title. A solid metal track, but standard metal fare. Other tracks on the disc are better.
Nothing patent about "Escape." Like "The Last Goodbye," this cut is catchy, especially the chorus. Some powerful guitar and harmonies throughout. As with "Goodbye," I could listen to the chorus all day long, it is so sweet. You'll want to sing along.
"Haunted" offers up another powerful addition to the disc. Some excellent rhythms and vocal play, and of course solid guitar and drums. Like other songs on the disc, a catchy little ditty. Unlike other songs on the disc, the verses are the most moving portions of this tune.
Though stuck with an uninteresting, hard-to-sell title, "Prozac Nation" is another strong cut for Dokken on this disc. A memorable experience with rhythmic lyrics and vocalizations, and catchy verses AND chorus! Not a weak spot in this song, either. Oh, and it has a bit of social criticism sprinkled in for good measure.
"Care for You" is the token ballad on the disc, but then I don't think Dokken has ever released a bad ballad, and like other Dokken ballads, there's little token about this one except perhaps the theme. Nice, slow song that's easy on the ears.
"Better Off Before" features more Dokken-flavored vocalizations of the early years than other tunes on the disc, but missing are the haunting but poetic rhythms and vocalizations of the better tracks on this disc. Standard metal fare. Not a bad thing when you like metal.
With "Still I'm Sad," the disc recalls the best of the Dokken of old. Though not a ballad, this cut has something operatic about it. Perhaps that's because the song is so well done its "story" and "scenes" can be visualized.
Another memorable track is "I Surrender." Solid vocalizations, poetic lyrics and understated steel accompaniment make this another strong title on this disc.
Written in the form of a letter home, "Letter to Home" is yet another memorable title on this disc. Like other songs on the disc, instruments and vocals blend perfectly to create a tune that's at once playful and poetic. The letter form is also something of a literary convention.
Dokken offers up some more particularly Dokken-esque fare with "Can You See." Still more flavorful poetic lyrics and vocalizations and measured steel accompaniment blend perfectly for another solid Dokken track.
"Care for You (Unplugged)" offers up the same memorable ballad but without the steel accompaniment. Not surprisingly, it is a softer song without the accompaniment. In the case of this ballad, however, the softer quality only adds to its appeal. Both versions are enjoyable.
Hell to Pay is as good a disc as any Dokken CD I own. Hell to Pay returns Dokken to center and offers up cuts reminiscent of their best work, especially of the early 1980s, but at the same time work that is seasoned and mature, too. In some ways, it's as if the last 20 years never were. If you like Tooth & Nail and Under Lock & Key, you'll likely enjoy Hell to Pay, too. 2004 will be remembered as a good year for Dokken fans.
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