Interview: Jon Levin (DOKKEN)

You have been with Dokken for almost a decade now – what is the worst and the best thing about your membership in one of your favorite childhood metal bands?

The best thing about it is that I get to play with my favorite band. Who in the world gets to do that? I really feel blessed. The worst thing about it is that traveling this much can start to become taxing. You have to be really careful about taking care of yourself or you can end up with injuries.

A very interesting part of your biography is that you disliked the uprising Seattle sound so much, that you gave up your musician career in the early 90-ties and became a lawyer for a decade – do you still hate Grunge?

It's not so much that I hate it, in fact I actually like some of the songs from that era. It's just that I didn't want to play that style of music.

In Dokken you took the place of one of your favorite guitar players – George Lynch. What is it like to play instead of someone who influenced you so much? How do you manage to keep your individuality and be creative in your own style yourself?

It's great. I mean who would have ever thought that something like this would happen? George is the one my favorite players. In fact, I tell him that every time I see him. As far as my individuality, I was also influenced by players like Michael Schenker, Eddie Van Halen, Eric Clapton, and Randy Rhoads so stylistically I'm really a conglomerate of players all rolled into one. I think that's true for most players, everyone has their set of influences. On the Broken Bones CD I think I'm stepping out into new territory so I'm interested in hearing what people have to say when they hear it.

Tell us more about Broken Bones – in an interview Don describes it as "very uptempo and heavy"...

I'm very very pleased with this record. I think it may be one of the strongest Dokken records yet. I think song wise, is it's a very exciting CD. I like every song on it which is a difficult task to achieve.

Are we going to hear something from the album?

Not at this point just because we're still finishing it.

What do you remember from your previous concert here?

We had a great time. The fans were very warm and kind to us and the show rocked!

Dokken was never too straight about playing only heavy metal, but yet you are associated mainly with this style. How do you see the evolution of Dokken's sound in the past decade?

Like all artists we evolved. I think we managed to get back to our roots with "Lightning Strikes Again", but now on "Broken Bones" I think we've managed to take it even further. We've achieved a Dokken record that still has the roots of the past and sounds like a vintage Dokken record but in a way that is fresh and new at the same time. That's not something that is easy to do. In retrospect, I think our evolution has brought us to the spot where in my mind is exactly where I wanted to be and it feels great.

You are developing signature guitar with Charvel, will come out in the same time as Broken Bones. Tell us more about it – is it ready? What is the most interesting special feature or element of the design that you are particularly proud of?

Yes, I'm actually very excited about this. I feel honored that Charvel approached me to have my own signature model. We are developing it now. It will have all of the features I have used in my Charvel guitars over the past 10 years. Some of the features will include stainless steel frets, and expose truss rod adjuster for easy access, a light Basswood body and an ebony fretboard with the neck profile identical to my current skull guitar. It should come out sometime in the late fall.

Which one of the bands on Kavarna Rock 2012 would you check out live? (DIO Disciples, Glenn Hughes, Michael Schenker, Big Noize feat Sebastian Bach, Kamelot, Rhapsody of Fire, Lizzy Borden, Dokken). Which guitar player of those bands is your favorite?

Michael Schenker is one my favorite players of most certainly him. I would also like to see Glenn Hughes as well.

Author: Elena Peneva