Dokken has been one of my favorite bands for over 20 years and I’ve always bought their albums.

Heaven Comes Down is Dokken’s 12th studio album, released on October 27 of 2023.

Lead Singer/namesake Don Dokken is the only classic member left in the band, but he has a killer band.

Jon Levin has been the guitarist for a little more than 20 years and plays very much like classic guitarist George Lynch.

Bassist Chris McCarvill is a monster player and great on stage.

Drummer BJ Zampa is also a monster drummer, and plays “Wild” Mick Brown’s parts very well.

I’m honest here so I’ll say Don’s voice is not what it used to be, but he’s still singing the best he can and having a great time.

His voice sounds good on the album, but if you’re expecting him to sound the way he did in the 80s, then you may be disappointed.

I’ve admitted like others that maybe Don should hang it up, but now I don’t.

I saw he and the band earlier this year and they were having a great time, and the fans loved every second of it.

So, keep on rocking Don!!

Anyway, back to the album.

I’m glad this album was made.

The last Dokken album, Broken Bones, was released in 2012 and was supposed to be the last album at the time.

Luckily, it wasn’t.

If you’re a Dokken fan, you should enjoy this.

Even with Don’s lower vocal register, he still has the voice for these songs, and the band is just super strong.

Lots of guitar, bass, and drums on this.

A couple of lighter songs, but mostly rocking stuff.

My favorite lighter song is the last song on the album called Santa Fe.

It’s about Don’s life actually, and about him moving away from LA to Santa Fe.

Really cool song to end this mostly rocking album.

If you’re a Dokken fan, give it a shot.

Even if you’re not a fan, but a fan of good hard, melodic rock, check it out and maybe you’ll become a fan.

I’m glad Don is still going and whether this is the last Dokken album or not, I’m glad it got made and released.

See, I love new music from my favorite bands/artists.

I don’t just live in the past with the hits.

I want to hear new stuff from them.

I welcome it.

And I certainly welcome this album and will listen to it many times over the course of my life, along with all the other great Dokken albums.

I’m Rockin’ with Dokken forever.

• Album Release Date: October 20th

The Greatest Rock And Roll Band In The World, The Rolling Stones, are putting out a new album!!

It is called Hackney Diamonds, out October 20.

The new single and video, Angry, is out as of September 6.

The band, which includes Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, and Ronnie Wood, had a worldwide press conference event moderated by Jimmy Fallon in London announcing the album and single.

Mick said that most of the album was recorded in December of 2022 and January of 2023 and mixed in February of 2023.

23 songs were recorded, two albums worth of material so hopefully another album will come out sooner than later.

12 songs on this album, though.  Two of which feature their amazing drummer Charlie Watts (RIP sir!!) that were recorded in 2019.

Also, Bassist Bill Wyman, who was in the band for a little more than 30 years, is on one of the songs Charlie played on, so that will be awesome!!!!!

The single Angry is a classic sounding Stones song.

Great riff, cool vocals, and it’s The Rolling Stones.  What more can you ask for?

I can’t wait to buy this album.

They’ve put out songs in the last decade, even a blues cover album in 2016, but not a full on new material album since 2005.  But hey, they’ve been busy.

I’ve been a fan since I was a little kid listening to them on the radio and seeing them in concert in 2015 will forever be the greatest night of my life.  Nothing, and I mean nothing, will ever top that for me.

I love these guys and I’m soooooooooooooooo glad they never stopped and are still making new music and touring.

They truly are the best.

Keep on rocking guys!!!!!

• Release Date: August 25, 2023

Alice Cooper has done it again:  Put out an amazing album.

If you’re an Alice fan, you should love this.

Aside from his first two albums in the 1960s, I think he’s put out one amazing album after another since.

He’s always been great.

Always puts on phenomenal concerts.

He does not disappoint.

Period.

This new album is great, and also features a phenomenal concert of his from 2022.

If you’re a fan, get this!!!!!!

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• Release Date: September 1, 2023

I love cover albums.

Many bands/artists have done them.

This is another AWESOME one.

Jim Dandy and his band Black Oak Arkansas are still going strong and have delivered an AWESOME cover album.

Featuring songs by The Rollings Stones, The Mamas And The Papas, The Jimi Hendrix Experience, Jefferson Airplane, The Buffalo Springfield, Neil Young, and more, this album kicks butt!!

I prefer original material albums, but again, I love cover albums, and I LOVE this one.

Actually there is one original and it’s a Christmas song.  Really good.

Way to go Jim!!!

I hope I can see you and the band someday.

Keep on rocking sir!!!!

And Rest In Peace Rickie Lee Reynolds, a huge part of the band’s history.  Forever missed.

You’re the man!!!!

Get this album and CRANK up the volume.

WOO!!!!

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• Release Date: July 28, 2023

Two days before my birthday, Sevendust released their 14th studio album called Truth Killer.

I’ve been a Sevendust fan since almost the beginning, and they have always been a great, rocking, solid band.

If you’re a Sevendust fan, you will probably always get what you want with each release.

And Truth Killer is no different.

It rocks.  It’s heavy.  It’s melodic.  It’s everything you want in a Sevendust album.

And it’s still the original lineup (guitarist Clint Lowery left for a few years in the 2000s then returned).

Not much more I can say here other than if you’re a Sevendust fan, please check this one out.

Also go see them live because they’re a phenomenal live band.

Keep on rocking guys.

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The band Extreme are back with their first album since 2009.

It was worth the wait.

Musically, it’s very varied.  Lots of rock, funky songs, some acoustic songs, ballads, it’s an awesome hodgepodge of music, but yet focused.

The band is still the original lineup (Singer Gary Cherone, Guitarist/Singer Nuno Bettencourt, and Bassist Pat Badger) except for the drummer (Kevin Figueiredo, who has been there since 2009).

This is definitely one of my favorite albums released so far this year.

If you’re a fan, check it out.

And even if you’re not, check it out anyway.  You may be pleasantly surprised.

Well done guys!!

I hope to see you someday.

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I first discovered Greta Van Fleet when they released their first EP From The Fires in 2017.

At first, I thought their songs sounded like lost Led Zeppelin songs, which is not a bad thing.  In fact, they still get compared to Zeppelin all the time.

However, once I bought all their music, I discovered they are very much a band that could have time traveled from the 70s into the present or vice versa, which again, is not a bad thing.

They are not a Zeppelin clone or anyone’s clone.  They are just a young band with a retro sound, but again, that’s not a bad thing.  I love it.

And their latest album, Starcatcher, is a natural follow up to all their previously released albums.

They have remained consistent but yet are still growing.

All the band members are brothers, except for one member, and they’ve known him forever.

This band is still young, but I can tell you that their music is very big sounding.

They are a phenomenal live band.  They have a big rock show and their fans are sooooo into them.  They know every word to every song and in my mind, aside from Foo Fighters, they are the biggest rock band in the world right now.

Us rock fans need more bands like Greta Van Fleet.

And I think we have several great ones out there now (The Struts, Dirty Honey, Mammoth WVH, Rival Sons, Lost Hearts, Classless Act, just to name a few).

I have not been this hopeful about the future of rock maybe ever.  But I am now.

So rock on Greta Van Fleet and keep doing what you’re doing.

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I had heard of the band Dirty Honey for awhile, but had not heard much of their music.

I recently bought their self-titled EP and self-titled debut full length album and I must say I really like them a lot!!

Singer Marc Labelle, Guitarist John Notto, Bassist Justin Smolian, and Drummer Corey Coverstone are everything I want in a rock band.

Just straight up, no frills, loud, great singing and playing. 

They are the real deal.

I’m excited for their next album, Can’t Find The Brakes, which is out November 3, and I’ll be seeing them December 11 in Columbus, OH.

If you’re a fan of basic hard rock bands, this is the band for you.

Seek out their music and go see them.

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Multi-Instrumentalist Wolfgang Van Halen (Bassist of the band Van Halen) has released his second Mammoth WVH solo album, called Mammoth II.

His first solo album, Mammoth WVH, was my favorite album of the year for 2021.

This album I think is the natural follow up.

Aside from one guitar solo, Wolfgang plays, sings, and writes everything, like he does on his first solo album.

He is such a phenomenal talent.

Yes he’s a great musician, but he is a phenomenal singer/songwriter.

He is one of the best newer artists out there today and I believe he has a great future ahead of him.

Keep on rocking sir!!

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