Hell to Pay

Hell to Pay is a fulfilling work on which Dokken carefully built around fluid, beautiful guitar phrases, thick, powerful riffs and shaded, beautiful melody. A record of the new lineup, welcoming Jon Levin as the new guitarist. The songs, while firmly keeping the sure feel of the 1980s, have a harder, calmer sound, and even the fine details of the playing come through clearly. A more precise record. From the opener “The Last Goodbye” and the drama of “Don’t Bring Me Down” to a cut like “Escape,” every song is engaging, while cuts like “Haunted” and “Prozac Nation” convey the work’s fullness. Jon Levin’s outstanding guitar is powerfully in sharp form throughout. A record with many passages that let you hear carefully through the songs’ precise construction and the guitar’s rich expression, rather than a big ballad orientation. It keeps the unshakable character of melodic hard rock without strain, powerfully showing the band’s continuing appeal. An engaging record showing the sure fullness of the new lineup — a record where the band’s steady appeal shines.