Dokken & Lynch Mob (and related bands)

New End Machine album coming, with Mick Brown’s younger brother on drums and a more Dokkenesque sound, apparently...
www.blabbermouth.net

GEORGE LYNCH Says THE END MACHINE's Second Album Will Be 'More DOKKEN-Centric'

George Lynch has confirmed to KNAC.COM that there are plans for another album from THE END MACHINE, his collaborative project with his ex-DOKKEN bandmate Jeff Pilson (bass) and former LYNCH MOB and current WARRANT singer Robert Mason. "We are working on the second THE END MACHINE record," the...
www.blabbermouth.net www.blabbermouth.net
 
George Lynch & Jeff Pilson apparently just put out an album of hard-rockified covers of pop songs from the past few decades called Heavy Hitters (full album link).

Song list:

1. One Of Us (Originally by Joan Osbourne)
2. You Got The Love (Originally by Rufus & Chaka Khan)
3. I Feel The Earth (Originally by Carole King)
4. Ordinary World (Originally by Duran Duran)
5. Music (Originally by Madonna)
6. Apologize (Originally by OneRepublic & Timbaland)
7. Nowhere To Run (Originally by Martha Reeves & The Vandellas)
8. Kiss (Originally by Prince)
9. It’s The End Of The World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine) (Originally by R.E.M.)
10. Champagne Supernova (Originally by Oasis)
11. Lucille (Originally by Little Richard)

Only ran through the album once so far and I’m not sure how I feel about it. It’s interesting, but uneven, and I’d rather hear new original music from them. But it’s something.
 
The End Machine has announced their 2nd lp:

blabbermouth.net

THE END MACHINE Feat. Ex-DOKKEN, WARRANT Members: 'Phase2' Album Due In April

THE END MACHINE, the new band featuring two members of the classic DOKKEN lineup — George Lynch (guitar) and Jeff Pilson (bass) — along with former LYNCH MOB and current WARRANT singer Robert Mason, will release its sophomore album, "Phase2", on April 9 via Frontiers Music Srl. The disc's first...
blabbermouth.net blabbermouth.net
 
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Posted this in NOW PLAYING, but we’ll put it here too for the sake of the topic:

71abBhEZ1cL._SY355_.jpg

(Full album playlist)

Still digesting it, but it’s definitely punchier than the debut and there are some great songs on it. Some are growers, so I’ll see how it plays out over repeated listens.
 
71abBhEZ1cL._SY355_.jpg


The End Machine - Phase2 (2021)

After a somewhat lackluster first outing and the retirement of drummer “Wild” Mick Brown, the remaining members of The End Machine (George Lynch and Jeff Pilson of Dokken, and Robert Mason of Lynch Mob) joined up with Mick’s younger brother “Mild” Steve Brown to deliver a tight, hook-filled second album.
  • The Rising - A gentle but ominous clean guitar part foreshadows “Plastic Heroes”, and is soon joined by a heavier riff presaging “Destiny”. This slowly builds into screams and some guitar callbacks to Dokken’s “Without Warning” before a quick finish. A strong instrumental opening with hints of what’s to come. 7/10.
  • Blood And Money - A drum intro breaks into a driving, Dokkenesque riff with sweet guitar fills. This cuts into a strong, driving verse that leads into a catchy, melodious pre-chorus before breaking into an intense, memorable chorus. Another round of verse through chorus and then we get an amazing multi-part extended guitar solo. Another pre-chorus and chorus, and a big rock ending closes things down. A great, punchy song with an excellent solo. I think this does enough to round it up to a 9/10.
  • We Walk Alone - Some “ahs” and 70s synths break into a marching, bluesy Lynch Mob style riff. A great vocal melody carries us through the verse and pre-chorus with some nice semi-clean guitar work before breaking into a heavier chorus. Another round of verse through chorus, then we get a bright, memorable vocal bridge and a strong solo before returning to the chorus for a while, followed by a brief outro. A little simpler, but still great. 8/10.
  • Dark Divide - A bright riff with sweet guitar fills leads into a feely verse with a great vocal line. This intensifies through the next verse before breaking into a huge, super-catchy chorus. A nice guitar fill rolls back into the verses and that awesome chorus before breaking into a great guitar solo. A subdued vocal bridge builds back nicely to the chorus, leading into a similarly catchy chorus 2 with great guitar fills fading into the distance. Excellent song, 9/10.
  • Crack The Sky - A peppy, bluesy riff is joined by a simple melodic lead before breaking into a sleazy verse groove. Vocal call and response in the pre-chorus builds tension before cutting into a chorus that starts off a little trite and poppy, but finishes strong. Another round of verse through chorus, then we get a great laid back vocal bridge and a strong solo section before returning to the pre-chorus and chorus and a quick denouement. I’m not totally sold on the first part of the chorus, but the rest of the song is great, as are the lyrics, so I feel comfortable rounding this up to an 8/10.
  • Prison Or Paradise - A riff reminiscent of a piece of Lynch/Pilson’s “Beast In The Box” is joined by some sweet guitar fills before dropping into a gentler verse with a nice vocal line and clean guitar accents. This builds through a great pre-chorus into a strong, catchy chorus. Another round of verse through chorus breaks into a great vocal bridge and a subdued guitar interlude. A brief vocal gives way to a great guitar solo before returning to the chorus, then some extended guitar noodling that fades out. But wait, there’s more! The noodling fades back in and we get another half a minute of jamming before it fades out again. Another great track, 8/10.
  • Plastic Heroes - A familiar clean guitar part from “The Rising” is joined by layered “ahs” before cutting into a heavy bluesy groove that underpins a strong verse. This leads into a brighter pre-chorus, then a catchy but kind of cheesy chorus. Another round of verse through chorus, then we get a spoken-word bridge with music that borrows heavily from AC/DC’s “For Those About To Rock”. This develops into a call and response vocal before breaking into an excellent multi-part guitar solo and a brief interlude with an 80s-style drum thump section before rolling back into the chorus and eventually fading away. Lots of good parts here with a great solo, but the chorus has some issues and the lyrics aren’t so hot. Let’s say 7/10.
  • Scars - A bluesy guitar lead with clean guitar accompaniment bleeds into a slow, balladic verse with a great vocal melody. The heaviness kicks in a bit for a strong pre-chorus and chorus with some Dokkenesque backing guitar. Another round of verse through chorus, then we get a nice vocal bridge and guitar solo. A hint of the verse rolls back through the pre-chorus and chorus to a subdued outro. Good stuff, but it doesn’t quite knock it out of the park. 7/10.
  • Shine Your Light - Stealth title tracks are pretty common, but stealth eponymous tracks are less so, and that’s what we have here. A sweet guitar riff that borrows from Van Halen’s “Ain’t Talkin’ ‘Bout Love” is joined by some Lynchy lead work before breaking into a driving verse. Things kick up a notch for the great pre-chorus before dialing it back down for the more marching chorus. Another round of verse through chorus breaks into an excellent multi-part guitar solo and a brief interlude before returning to some variant choruses and an extended jammy outro. The chorus isn’t as great as the rest of the song, but I think merits rounding up to an 8/10.
  • Devil’s Playground - A flagrantly bluesy guitar lick breaks into a heavier rendition with some nice arpeggiated accents before falling away into a deliciously smooth verse. The heaviness returns for a solid pre-chorus that leads into an unfortunately blasé chorus with some nice Lynch Mobby backing guitar. Another round of great verse through “meh” chorus leads into a vaguely Beatlesque bridge, then the song unfortunately goes off the rails a bit with a spoken word section and cringey voice acting. A final round of choruses breaks into a quick guitar breakdown and a capella ending. Well, half of this song is pretty strong and the other half is “meh” or worse. I can probably round this up to a 6/10 based on its stronger parts.
  • Born Of Fire - A bright guitar intro breaks into a verse reminiscent of Lynch Mob’s “Tangled In The Web”. A brighter pre-chorus builds into a chorus that borrows heavily from Lynch Mob’s “Hell Child”. Another round of verse through chorus leads into a strong vocal bridge and guitar solo before working its way back to the chorus and a gentle denouement. Really strong with a number of great parts, but also made of at least 1/3 recycled material. Let’s cap it at a 7/10 for blatant but productive reuse.
  • Destiny - The grungy riff foreshadowed in “The Rising” returns here, giving way to an atmospheric verse that gains heaviness as it builds up to a catchy chorus. Another round of verse through chorus leads into a variant chorus with some nice harmonized guitar accents. This gives way to a calmer bridge that gradually builds into a great guitar solo before returning to the chorus, then an extended queasy outro based around the grungy riff. This song definitely has some DNA from Dokken’s “Just Got Lucky”, but it doesn’t recycle it blatantly, so it can still stand on its own. Lots of great parts, and while the chorus isn’t quite a smash, I think this song does enough to merit rounding it up to an 8/10.
Average: 7.7/10
Weighted: 7.7/10

This is a great album that’s over half killer with just a tiny bit of filler. The band’s more intentional focus on tight songs and hooks paid off here in spades, trimming the fat from the debut’s arrangements and really letting Lynch’s guitar and Mason’s vocals drive the proceedings.

You can definitely hear the familiar sounds of these band members’ past glories shine through here, but usually through a more modern lens. “Born Of Fire” is the only song that really reeks of recycling, and even that one is pulled off well.

A major step up from the first album overall, and a no-brainer recommendation for Dokken and Lynch Mob fans.

(Master review index >)
 
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Missed this last year, but apparently a third Sweet & Lynch album may still be happening in 2021:

Michael Sweet hoping to do another Sweet & Lynch album with George Lynch sometime next year - Sleaze Roxx

Michael Sweet hoping to do another Sweet & Lynch album with George Lynch sometime next year Stryper and Sweet & Lynch frontman Michael Sweet was recently interviewed by Anne Erickson for Audio Ink Radio. Stryper will be releasing their new studio album Even The Devil Believes via Frontiers Music...
sleazeroxx.com sleazeroxx.com

Last I’d heard, Sweet was saying he didn’t want to do any more albums with Lynch because they never did a tour. Maybe the pandemic canceling all touring changed his mind…?

I wasn’t too thrilled with Unified, but Only To Rise was great. I’d be up for more.
 
Hmm, looks like Lynch confirmed a third Sweet & Lynch album to be recorded this year as well (and a fourth KXM):
bravewords.com

GEORGE LYNCH Talks Heavy Hitters Covers Album, Reveals New SWEET/LYNCH And KXM Records Are In The Works (Audio)

Guitar legend George Lynch (ex-Dokken) is featured in a new interview with Metal Express Radio, found below. During the chat Lynch discusses why Lynch Mob was disbanded, the new covers album Heavy Hitters with Dokken bandmate Jeff Pilson, Lynch’s new band project The Banishment, songs that Lynch...
bravewords.com bravewords.com
 
Jer said:
Missed this last year, but apparently a third Sweet & Lynch album may still be happening in 2021:

Michael Sweet hoping to do another Sweet & Lynch album with George Lynch sometime next year - Sleaze Roxx

Michael Sweet hoping to do another Sweet & Lynch album with George Lynch sometime next year Stryper and Sweet & Lynch frontman Michael Sweet was recently interviewed by Anne Erickson for Audio Ink Radio. Stryper will be releasing their new studio album Even The Devil Believes via Frontiers Music...
sleazeroxx.com sleazeroxx.com

Last I’d heard, Sweet was saying he didn’t want to do any more albums with Lynch because they never did a tour. Maybe the pandemic canceling all touring changed his mind…?

I wasn’t too thrilled with Unified, but Only To Rise was great. I’d be up for more.
Click to expand...
Do you own the cds or just listen online? Curious to know if cd booklets show if both are playing lead guitar or just George
 
Some amusing meta-humor from Blabbermouth today:

www.blabbermouth.net

ROBERT MASON Thinks GEORGE LYNCH 'Says Some Dumb-Ass S**t Every Once In A While', Insists THE END MACHINE Is 'Not That Polarized'

Robert Mason says that he was a bit perplexed by George Lynch's recent comment that "there's a little bit of a rub" between the members of THE END MACHINE over the band's lyrical content due to their divergent political views. Last month, George discussed the lyrical themes covered on THE END...
www.blabbermouth.net www.blabbermouth.net

From the article:

Mason quipped: "It made you think, 'God, George gets off topic and says some dumb-ass shit every once in a while.'

"You know what's really funny? Somebody's gonna watch this, and that's gonna be the Blabbermouth quote," he continued.
 
Listened a bit to Phase2 tonight. Some really good songs on there, good production and cool vibe. Sufficiently Dokken-esque. 1990 Don Dokken on this... That would have been 100%. He just had a special touch on those notes. Robert Mason is a great singer but not as unique. (Still prefer him massively over that Oni Logan though, who by the way is unique.)

Side note: Still expecting to hear "Undertow" by Mr. Big everytime "Blood and Money" starts. :facepalm:

Sweet & Lynch 3... Now that can go either way. Unified sounded like leftovers from Michael Sweet's 2016 solo effort One Sided War (okay record with some cool songs) with Lynch on additional guitar. Which in itself wasn't far from the sound of his main band Stryper since 2013's No More Hell To Pay. It needs to be more Lynch, less Sweet. Sweet is by far the better songwriter, but he needs to build on riffs, ideas, twists & turns from Lynch playing.
 
George Lynch solo instrumental album Seamless coming on August 20:

www.blabbermouth.net

GEORGE LYNCH To Release First-Ever Instrumental Album 'Seamless' In August

With over 40 years playing guitar and songwriting as a professional musician, career firsts are minimal for someone as prolific as George Lynch. On August 20, George gets to add another highlight with the release of his first-ever full-length instrumental album, "Seamless". The album is being...
www.blabbermouth.net www.blabbermouth.net
 
Picked up Lynch/Pilson Heavy Hitters, and I’m actually pretty cool with it. I’d prefer original music, but the heavy reinterpretations of pop and R&B songs work well, and the song selection is pretty good.

Also picked up Don Dokken’s Solitary, which is surprising and pleasant. It’s from 2008, so his voice was already starting to decline, but he stays in his pocket pretty well here, and the more sedate songs suit his older voice well. Not sure how I feel about “My Heart Will Go On”, though…LOL.
 
Jer said:
Also picked up Don Dokken’s Solitary, which is surprising and pleasant. It’s from 2008, so his voice was already starting to decline, but he stays in his pocket pretty well here, and the more sedate songs suit his older voice well. Not sure how I feel about “My Heart Will Go On”, though…LOL.
Click to expand...

It is from 2008 but never got a proper release until 2020. "My Heart Will Go On" is a great cover, honestly. Love this version. That and "Jealous" plus some more were added later, not sure when they were recorded.
 
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Super-happy to hear him play like that again ("Death By A Thousand Licks"). It's like it's 1987 all over again.
 
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