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DOKKEN Heaven Comes Down By George Mihalovich, Pittsburgh Contributor Friday, November 3, 2023 @ 10:43 AM
Heaven Comes Down is consistently energetic and heavy (as measured by DOKKEN and classic metal standards) with quality songwriting from start to finish.The first four songs are fairly aggressive (note "Fugitive" and "Gypsy", videos on KNAC.COM HERE and HERE respectively), and it isn't until Track Five that we move into balladesque territory with "I'll Never Give Up" - which still retains an edge. Then it's back to "rokken" (rhymes with DOKKEN) on tunes such as "Saving Grace" and "Over The Mountain" until the final track, "Santa Fe", which is a sparse autobiographical snapshot of Mr. Dokken's life supported solely by acoustic guitar and light percussion.
It's a cohesive, purposeful and polished album made by a battle-tested unit in top form. The first-class rhythm section of BJ Zampa (drums, and check out his intro to "Saving Grace") and Chris McCarvill (bass) powerfully and authoritatively support the songs; both are perfect within the DOKKEN template and work together seamlessly. Jon Levin may have gotten his start on the East Coast, but he nails the "West Coast/LA gunslinger style" (Eddie Van Halen, George Lynch, Warren DeMartini, Jake E. Lee) without being inauthentic or derivative. He's a fine example of someone who has not gotten lackadaisical or complacent as time rolls on - he keeps getting better - and Jon's slick leads and harmony lines are integral to the record. A case in point is his stellar melodic work that builds to a speedy crescendo on "Lost In You".
The album was engineered by Bill Palmer, produced by Bill Palmer and Don Dokken, and mixed by Kevin Shirley (AEROSMITH, IRON MAIDEN, JOE BONAMASSA). These names definitely lend an air of competence and confidence that the production values won't disappoint, and these assumptions are well-founded. The aforementioned team achieved something that is difficult to do these days, which is to create a sonic footprint that ties the disc together. The sound is spacious and clear with a big bottom end, loud guitars and forward vocals; everything adds up to avintage metal vibe with a modern perspective.
Heaven Comes Down is an outstanding and succinct 10-track offering of classic melodic metal. No, it's not Tooth And Nail or Under Lock And Key, but it's recognizably DOKKEN in the present. If this is indeed their last studio effort, Heaven Comes Down is a worthy bookend to the storied recording career of one of the 80s most important metal bands.
4.7 Out Of 5.0
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