Review: Dokken – Heaven Comes Down

Silver Lining Music (October 27^th 2023)

Reviewer: Jason Hopper

Let’s get this out of the way right now, this review is not going to be a critique of Don’s voice. He does not have the range he once did, and this has been discussed ad nauseum for nearly a quarter century. If you are looking for a teardown of his singing abilities, look elsewhere. With their latest album ‘Heaven Comes Down‘, Don shows he is aware of his limits and plays to his strengths, never over-exerting beyond his capabilities.

I will not hide my bias. Dokken is one of my all-time favorite bands and it’s an honor to review what may potentially be their final recording. I enjoyed 2008’s ‘Lightning Strikes Again‘ but cannot say the same for 2012’s ‘Broken Bones‘, only digging two of the eleven tracks on that album. After eleven years, I had high hopes for this release.

Opening track (and first single) ‘Fugitive’ sounded great to my ears. The opening chords, with its middle eastern mysticism feel, pulls the listener in with a build-up right before the song explodes into a classic Dokken riff. Guitarist Jon Levin has mastered George Lynch’s 80s style of playing and the band is all the better for it.  A majestic track that brings me back to the Dokken of old and my favorite track on the album. Don’s approach is effective here as the pained lyrics match the yearning and struggle in his voice.

There are a bunch of tracks that harken back to the Dokken of old. Second track ‘Gypsy’ is as old school as it gets and could have easily made it onto one of their 80s releases. ‘Just Like a Rose’ is just the type of mid-tempo rocker I would expect to hear from the band, and they do not disappoint. Levin’s approach to the riff and arpeggios is perfection. Another favorite is ‘Saving Grace’, with a return to that middle eastern flair from opener ‘Fugitive’ but more encompassing, with a slower, yet heavier melody.

There is some diversity on the album that does not stray too far from the chemistry we’ve come to know of the band. ‘Is It Me or You?’ goes for more of a Lynch Mob feel with this groove-oriented rocker. Closing acoustic ballad ‘Santa Fe’ sounds like a leftover track from Don’s most recent solo album ‘Solitary‘. The lyrics seem autobiographical, it’s the most personal song Don wrote for the album and has a terrific sing-songy rhythm, with a slight Spanish flair that is alluring to the ears.

The album contains three ballads. There’s the aforementioned ‘Santa Fe’, ‘I’ll Never Give Up’ and ‘I Remember’. I have never been a big fan of Dokken’s ballads outside of ‘Alone Again’ and the vastly underrated ‘I’ve Found’. With that said, ‘I’ll Never Give Up’ is similar in style to their old power ballad ‘Walk Away’ and is done well, with an effective build-up and catchy chorus.  The same cannot be said for ‘I Remember’. It has a dour, flat chorus that goes nowhere interesting. Don’s energy here is the lowest on the album making it my least favorite track.

As with all Dokken releases over nearly two decades, the true MVP is Jon Levin, reminding us all of why Dokken is such a beloved band of the genre. That’s not to take away from the rhythm section. This is the first time a Dokken album has featured a new drummer and BJ Zampa does a terrific job. He has worked for numerous years with bassist Chris McCarvill in House of Lords and Maxx Explosion so their chemistry is tight and they gel well together.

All of this is greatly enhanced by the powerful production from Don and Bill Palmer. While I’m not familiar with Bill’s work, I am aware of mixer Kevin Shirley, who has had a hand in producing bands like Aerosmith and Journey. He brings his expected A-game to this project, with the album sounding sonically superb.

If your issue with the band is Don’s voice, then you’ve already made up your mind and this review does not pertain to you. With Don having just entered his 70s and his health struggles well documented, there is a chance that this could likely be the last Dokken album. If it is, he went out with his head held high. While it does not reach the heights of ‘Lightning Strikes Again‘, it is way better than ‘Broken Bones‘. This is an album that he and the band can be proud of and will please long-time fans.  A great capper to a tremendous career.

Tracklist:

1. Fugitive
2. Gypsy
3. Is It Me or You?
4. Just Like a Rose
5. I’ll Never Give Up
6. Saving Grace
7. Over the Mountain
8. I Remember
9. Lost in You
10. Santa Fe