Hell To Pay sees yet another guitarist added to the list of Dokken alumni, this time in the form of Jon Levin, the Ex- Warlock six stringer. Levin's introduction sees the band returning somewhat to the sound of classic Dokken from the Tooth & Nail/Under Lock & key era.  In general the songs are mid-tempo, dark and moody and yet still retain a strong melodic presence. Opener 'The Last Goodbye' sets the standard for the rest of the album to follow, starting with an extremely heavy guitar riff with some subtle undertones. This song is as good as anything the band have produced in the last decade.

'Don't Bring Me Down' is up-tempo and leans heavily on Lynch era Dokken classics in the guitar stylings. The soloing is  fluid and the bass/drum patterns add a bottom end punch to the sound.

'Escape' builds slowly from a quiet intro, via a verse that could have been lifted straight off the 'Back For The Attack' record and into a strong chorus. The song continues with the dark feel of the album and the solo retains the whole melodic feel of the track.

'Haunted' kicks off with a little acoustic blues piece before the song kicks in properly. Again the song is mid-tempo in pace with a strong vocal melody and yet more excellent guitar work from Levin.

'Prozac Nation' is a firm favourite after about ten listens through the record. Lyrically it is the strongest track on the album. The song is punchy throughout, with a strong rhythm tracks and yet another gem of a solo

'Care For You' is the obligatory ballad on the album, with a mix of acoustic guitar and piano blending with a decent vocal melody. Unfortunately at this point the song simply detracts from the pace and tension built up by the preceding titles.

'Better off Before' returns to the mid-tempo arena, however whilst certainly not a bad song, it is one of the weaker moments on the album

'Still I'm Sad' is a slow paced burner of a track, which starts off with  moody guitar/vocal tracks before building to a solid chorus

'I Surrender' is different again with a sparse verse where the guitar/bass/drum tracks are cleverly  understated leaving Dokken's vocals to take the spotlight. The solo is certainly one of the more melodic on offer throughout the record.

'Letter To Home' sees the band heading off into Beatles territory with a  feel reminiscent at times of early Enuff Z Nuff tracks and is that a mellotron in the background?

'Can You See' closes the album proper out in the same vein as it started with a dark, moody, mid-tempo track with fine guitar work.

The album then offers a bonus track in the shape of a stripped down rendition of 'Care For You' that is more reliant on the piano and strings than the initial version. Still not a favourite I am afriad.

The undoubted star of the show on this record is John Levin who stamps his signature all over the album whilst paying homage to the legacy of original guiatirst George Lynch. Certainly 'Hell To Pay' is the strongest Dokken album since 'Back For The Attack rounded out the classic era and fans should welcome the return to that particular style and sound. In saying that the album certainly does not feel dated in anyway and the strong production must  be given credit for this. Buy and enjoy. 

Let us know your views on 'Hell To Pay'

Track List

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]

Line Up

Don Dokken - Lead Vocals
Jon Levin - Guitar
Barry Sparks - Bass
Mick Brown - Drums