DATE: Thursday, September 25, 1997          TAG: 9709250040

SECTION: DAILY BREAK             PAGE: E7   EDITION: FINAL 

TYPE: Music review

SOURCE: BY JEFF MAISEY, CORRESPONDENT 

                                            LENGTH:   36 lines

NON-ROCKIN' DOKKEN FAILS TO RECAPTURE ITS OLD FLAVOR

WHERE HAVE all the head-bangers gone?

A good example of why heavy metal now resides in the industry's junkyard was on display Tuesday night as rockin' Dokken took the Boathouse stage.

The quartet formed in the late '70s and broke up a decade later over bitter differences between vocalist Don Dokken and guitarist George Lynch. Following dismal solo careers, they reunited last year.

Not that you could tell Tuesday. The two showed little camaraderie, steering clear of each other's path. Despite Metallica-style short haircuts and new material, Dokken's rusty, tired metal and polar enthusiasm oozed through.

For openers, floppin' Dokken rumbled with ``Puppet on a String'' from the new ``Shadow Life.'' The song was tangled in a muddy mix of overdriving bass and drums. Don Dokken's vocals were so loud and distorted the lyrics were unintelligible. These problems persisted throughout.

Turning quickly to their older material, the slow, somewhat melodic ``Sky Beneath My Feet'' was played second. The once-popular ``Into The Fire'' never caught fire Tuesday because Lynch's solo was lost in the mix. Rule No. 1: Guitar solos should be way upfront!

Ever been hit in the head with a 2-by-4? Then you know exactly what kind of smack-in-your-face power rock opening act Mindset can create. The crisp, crunching quartet makes meal out of the Korn sound. They also possess a better ``ADIDAS'' tune called ``The Devil Wore ADIDAS.''

It was guitarist John Smallwood's night to shine. He replaced Don Campbell only a week ago. Smallwood was remarkable as both musician and showman, never missing a note. Vocalist Rob Roddy guided the internationally acclaimed band through songs like ``Shoe Shine Boy.'' The crowd was mesmerized.

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