siLLy puPPy
The band DOKKEN grew out of a solo career of lead singer Don DOKKEN who found himself in Germany supplying the backup wailing heard on the Scorpion’s classic rocker “Blackout.” Producer Dieter Dierks basically gave Don free reign to record some demos in leftover studio time which resulted in the what would become the band DOKKEN’s first album BREAKING THE CHAINS. At the time Don DOKKEN invited guitarist George Lynch, drummer Mick Brown and bassist Peter Baltes to round out the slots. Juan Croucier would rerecord the bass tracks for the 1983 US release but would immediately jump ship and join Ratt but left his mark on this debut album released as a Don DOKKEN solo album in 1981 in Europe and then reconfigured to be the band’s debut album in the US in 1983.
With BREAKING THE CHAINS, Don DOKKEN and crew found a unique niche in the up and coming glam metal market that was quickly becoming the next big thing in the US. While the band would quickly find success with their followup “Tooth And Nail,” on BREAKING THE CHAINS the band was still somewhat of a studio sensation and not a true band unit yet therefore this album sounds a bit polished and designed to be fairly commercial with catchy pop hooks laced with a crunchy metal bombast. Despite the rather tenuous circumstances which brought BREAKING THE CHAINS into existence, it still pretty much displays the sound that would become DOKKEN’s staple for the rest of the 80s where they would churn out several multi-platinum albums.
The best known track is the opening title track which showcases Don DOKKEN’s smooth vocal style set above Lynch’s metal bombast and Croucier and Brown’s strong rhythmic drive. DOKKEN excelled at exceedingly melodic hooks and BREAKING THE CHAINS delivers those in abundance. The band would quickly score as openers for Blue Oyster Cult but the album itself was a flop and almost got the band dropped from its label who held out for the sophomore which proved to be a big ticket item. While overall BREAKING THE CHAINS is a stellar batch of catchy pop metal tracks, the production is a little less than desirable and the band would go on to create more interestingly designed hooks. While this debut is an ok listening experience, it neither displays the band’s best songwriting nor the over the top instrumental antics that the members would be allowed to show off on future albums.