Lightning Strikes Again

Lightning Strikes Again is a fulfilling work on which Dokken, around sharp guitar and Don Dokken’s singing, powerfully regained straight melodic metal. True to its title, evoking the old classic “Lightnin’ Strikes Again,” it is a record conscious of a clear return to the early glow. The riffs are sharp, the choruses big and powerful, and the sure immediacy particular to a 1980s band strongly returns to the songs. From the powerful opener “Standing on the Outside” and the drama of “Give Me a Reason” to a cut like “Heart to Stone,” every song is engaging, while the moving “How I Miss Your Smile” and a cut like “Disease” convey the work’s fullness. The band’s melodic appeal vividly revives. A record on which, on the other hand, the playing is by no means mere reproduction of the past, firmly holding a sure hardness and calm gained through long experience. It draws classic Dokken’s appeal to the present without strain and powerfully. A powerful, engaging record highly praised by fans — a record where the band’s return to origins shines.