Dokken's vocals on this album are, in my opinion, at their pinnacle in this album. Just listen to him hit the soaring notes in "Slippin' Away," an awesome ballad, or sample his vocal power in "Lightning Strikes Again." "Unchain the Night" is another example of how Dokken outshines most other 80's metal wailers [vocally]. This album is proof positive that Don Dokken is one of the 80's best vocalists. He injects passion and vitality into Dokken's songs.

...but Don would be "just another band" without their signature sound-- that of axeman George Lynch. His guitar talent and skill rivals that of other of the 80's best axemen-- no joke. Any of his solos on this album will prove that. Check out the solo in "Unchain the Night" to be persuaded. The crisp, clean distortion sound that jumps off of his guitar in this album was/is one of the definitive sounds in 80's metal. Lynch seems to be able to make the standard pings, squeals, crunches, riffs, and chugs seem extraordinary. For some of his best solos on this album also check out "The Hunter," "In My Dreams," and "Till the Livin' End". But let us not overlook the passion of his guitar in "Slippin' Away" and "Jaded Heart." Nor the sheer power in "It's Not Love" (one of the three BIG hits from this album), "Lightning Strikes Again," "Don't Lie To Me," and "Till the Livin' End."

Pure and simple: Lynch is beyond awesome! (For what I think is his best solo ever, see Dokken's '87 "Back For the Attack" release for the instrumental "Mr. Scary" showcasing Lynch at his finest.)

There are three major singles from this album (tracks 1, 3, and 6), but there isn't one song on here that could be considered filler. This album is solid throughout.

"Under Lock and Key," with a mix of fast songs, blistering guitar riffs and solos, soaring vocals, and tight songwriting, is one of the 80's best metal albums-- despite the fact that it is clumped under the "glam metal" genre.

This albums is a MUST HAVE for any 80's metal fan, or for any fan of top-notch guitar work. BUY IT NOW!


A well-crafted album.   July 28, 2000
sauerkraut
7 out of 7 found this review helpful

Under Lock and Key is my favorite album from Dokken. This album holds personal significance to me. I first got the cassette of Under Lock and Key in 1986 when I was a teenager. Shortly before, I had seen a couple of the album's videos. For a long time, I couldn't get enough of it. I listened to the album incessantly. It's hard to believe that it has been fourteen years since I first listened to this album. This disc opened the doors to a lot of music that I subsequently started to listen to. Even though I don't listen to Under Lock and Key as much as I did when I was younger, I still have and always will have a tremendous amount of respect for it. The album consists of ten tracks and is in a melodic hard rock direction. Under Lock and Key contains a nice variety of songs. There are straight-ahead rockers, ballads, and a couple of heavy, metallic ones. The musicianship, songwriting, and production are all quite impressive. George Lynch does a very good job with the guitar playing; he has his own style of playing. His solos are well constructed, and there are some cool, memorable guitar riffs. Don Dokken does an energetic job with the vocals. The backing vocals from the group are also very nice. My favorite songs are "Unchain the Night," "In My Dreams," "Jaded Heart," and "Will the Sun Rise." "In My Dreams" features catchy backing vocals and a well-crafted guitar solo (one of my favorite guitar solos) from George Lynch. Don Dokken's vocals on the ballad "Jaded Heart" are nice. George Lynch also plays a killer guitar riff on "Unchain the Night." None of the ten tracks are bad. "Lightnin' Strikes Again" and "Til the Livin' End" display the heavy, metallic side of the band. I also like the album cover. The guys really have a cool look. Under Lock and Key is a consistent album that is quite impressive. It's a better-than-good representation of melodic hard rock. It emanates melody, energy, and emotion. I actually give it 3.5 stars. It's well worth a listen.


Finest of 80's Hard Rock   July 2, 2004
Trent B. Mcdaniel (Montgomery, AL)
4 out of 4 found this review helpful

This is one of the best hard rock albums of the 1980's...period. Cover to cover this is Dokken's best album. Unchain the Night starts it out and it never lets up. In My Dreams and It's Not Love will always be classics. The Hunter and Jaded Heart are mid tempo gems, the latter of which is a haunting ballad. Even the couple of slow moments on this album come with such a kick!The production on this album is phenominal. No collection is complete without this one. Definitely in my top 10 hard rock albums ever.


A classic   March 2, 2006
Rainbow Fan
3 out of 3 found this review helpful

This isn't as heavy as there album Tooth And Nail but it's almost as good and just as popular. The heavier Lightning Strikes, Til the Livin End, It's Not Love and Unchain the Night are and the more melodic In My Dreans, Will The Sun Rise and The Hunter are excellent too. The 2 ballads Jaded Heart and Slipping Away are excellent power ballads too. The whole band here performs just as well as they did on Tooth And Nail. If you like melodic rock, hair metal, classic rock, metal or good music in general than get this.