Tooth and Nail

Tooth and Nail is a monumental masterpiece on which Dokken splendidly pulled together catchy, memorable vocal melody and technical, outstanding guitar into one hard-rock work without strain. Their substantial breakthrough, pushing the band to stardom overnight. Don Dokken’s smooth, beautiful voice and George Lynch’s sharp, cutting phrases, while truly contrastive, always function powerfully toward making the songs’ hooks stronger. From the development from the opening instrumental to the speeding title track “Tooth and Nail” and the catchy popular “Just Got Lucky” to the tension of “Into the Fire,” every song is engaging, while the moving classic ballad “Alone Again” and a cut like “Don’t Close Your Eyes” convey the work’s fullness. In particular, “Alone Again” became an enduring classic ballad representing the band. A record on which, from the tense tension of “Into the Fire” to the deep sorrow of “Alone Again,” the album powerfully shows sure appeal in both speeding songs and beautiful ballads. It splendidly unites the splendor particular to LA metal and the sure precision of the playing. A powerful, engaging masterpiece adorning the opening of Dokken’s golden age — an essential record for fans.