Every band has a beginning, even those great names you can think of. But it's not so easy to see the bands leaving early material behind, without being recorded. And it's really weird to believe that DOKKEN had some songs lost in the past, and they're here for the fans, in a gift called "The Lost Songs: 1978-1981".

As the album's title denounces, it's a recollection of early material from the band, from the early days when DOKKEN was drifting between USA and Germany, and back to California. The days before the release "Breaking the Chains" and the following rising fame of the quintet (along many internal problems). On them, some songs are linked to the band's future, others bear a different insight, but the same classic Glam Metal/Hard Rock is presented here, so things are really charming and great. And as a present for the fans, all the songs from the Demo "Back in the Streets" are here as well.

These songs come from his locker (maybe a joke, maybe not) of master tapes with never released songs, when was just a teenager (and his voice was full of energy and thin). Obviously some modern remastering and others were done to bring this stuff a new life, but nothing that can break down the shine of these songs. And everything sounds clean, live and energetic.

It's amazing to hear some of these songs and see their potential back on the late 70's/early 80's. But the accessible shine of "Step Into the Light" (very good vocals and a catchy set of melodies), the nasty energy and weight of "We're Going Wrong" (this one has that personal Hard 'n' Heavy energy from their early albums, and very good guitars, and was presented on the band's Demo Tape, "Back in the Streets"), the silk and somber set of melodies of "Rainbows", the abrasive weight of "Felony" (another melodic anthem, and it's on "Breaking the Chains", and what very good vocals, although Don said somewhere that his voice sounds like Mickey Mouse's on that days), the energy overdose along catchy melodies shown on "No Answer" and "Back in the Streets", and the 80's energy from "Hit and Run" and "Broken Heart" are songs that deserves to be heard time and time again.

Well, this release with these songs is really a fresh blown of air in the face. Obviously that it's an embryonic form of what DOKKEN would do in their successful days. But "The Lost Songs: 1978-1981" deserves a place in anyone's collection, and in anyone's CD player.