DOKKEN – Breaking The Chains [Rock Candy remastered & reloaded] HQ

As part of the DOKKEN albums remastered by Rock Candy Records, we have here as requested by many, their first American release “Breaking The Chains“.
During the ’80s Dokken were riding a wave of success that had them bracketed in the same league as heavy hitters like Mötley Crüe, Quiet Riot, the Scorpions and Ratt. Constantly on tour and favorites of MTV, the band’s stock was at an all-time high but it wasn’t always like that when an early incarnation of the band first formed in Los Angeles at the very late seventies.

Named after Norwegian-American born singer Don Dokken, the band got its first major break playing a series of club dates in Germany around 1981 where they were spotted by feted Scorpions producer Dieter Dierks, who enlisted Don to guide vocal for ailing Scorpions singer Klaus Meine on their ‘Blackout’ album.
Taking advantage of Dierks offer to record some demos, the band scored a European deal with the fast rising Carrere label from France.

Their debut album – recorded by Don Dokken, guitarist George Lynch, drummer Mick Brown and Accept’s bassist Peter Baltes – was taped at Dierks Studio in Cologne, utilising up and coming German born producer Michael Wagener.
Issued in 1981, “Breaking The Chains” sold reasonably well in Europe paving the way for US Elektra Records to sign Dokken and release this revised and remixed version in North America two years later.
Attracting instant acclaim the album features several Dokken classics including “I Can’t See You”, “In The Middle”, “Seven Thunders” and the full throttle title track itself.

“Breaking The Chains” completes Rock Candy’s first batch of Dokken remasters with 24bit sound shaped technology, a 3500 word essay, unpublished photos and new interview with Don Dokken talking about the surroundings of each recording.

This one sounds vital and bright very close to the original in the frequencies spectrum, but with more enhanced dynamics. Many fans would have preferred a remaster of the Carrere mix (featuring the track We’re Illegal replaced here by “Live To Rock”), but let’s face it, this re-touched version made for the US market is technically far better.

If you never heard Dokken’s origins, you will be surprised by the rawness, hard attack of “Breaking The Chains”, while if you already own the ’80s pressed CD or vinyl, this Rock Candy reissue worth every cent.
Killer, classic record. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

01 – Breaking The Chains
02 – In The Middle
03 – Felony
04 – I Can’t See You
05 – Live To Rock (Rock To Live)
06 – Nightrider
07 – Seven Thunders
08 – Young Girls
09 – Stick To Your Guns
10 – Paris Is Burning

Don Dokken – Lead vocals, Rhythm guitars
George Lynch – Lead Guitars
Juan Croucier – Bass, Backing vocals (credited but did not play)
Mick Brown – Drums, Backing vocals
Peter Baltes (Accept) – Bass
Bobby Blotzer (Ratt) – Drums on “Young Girls” and “Stick To Your Guns”

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