LYNCH MOB/ex-DOKKEN guitarist George Lynch spoke to Metal Asylum in New Jersey about the latest Lynch Mob album Smoke And Mirrors, touring plans, guitars, and the possibilities of a Dokken reunion. Here are a few excerpts from the chat:

Metal Asylum: Tell us how you recaptured that classic Lynch Mob Wicked Sensation sound on the new album Smoke And Mirrors?

Lynch: "Well it wasn’t like we went in trying to recapture any type of sound but once we turned into a band after working with each other for several months, between Oni Logan and myself, we subconsciously knew that Wicked Sensation was what we were going for. But…we went into the right studio and used the right equipment to make this the proper follow up to Wicked Sensation."

Metal Asylum: Does it feel like a classic Lynch Mob album to you?

Lynch: "Yeah…it does, but evolved, older, wiser, you know. We were just much more efficient with our time and money this time. Between the writing, the mixing, recording, it was stretched out over some time. If you squeeze it all together it was about six weeks. But the writing was really spread out over several months because we would play some shows, come home and write, go back out on the road again. But the actually recording was done in four days, guitars, bass and drums. The vocals took some more time."

Metal Asylum: Why the title Smoke And Mirrors?

Lynch: "Just something that hit me. For me a record is like a brand, it has to be catchy and easy to remember, but it also has implications on different levels. Like in a political framework, things are not what they seem. On a musical level you can say on one hand maybe if your listening to something and you know what went into the process its not what it seems either and there’s a lot that goes into it. Like by listening to the music you may think I am a really good guitar player but when you listen to the recoding of the tracks its not true, hahaha, no I’m just kidding. No, but it was a pretty honest record, like the solo for ‘Let the Music Be Your Master’ was all done in one take. I mean there are some punches here and there on the album but really not too much smoke and mirrors."

Metal Asylum: Did you do anything different with the music on Smoke And Mirrors?

Lynch: "Well the earlier Lynch Mob records were more focused with more continuity musically. And that can be good and bad. But this one doesn’t quite have one flavor its more adventurous, like ‘Smoke and Mirrors’ the songs gets a little swampier southernesque, and we dabbled a little more on the commercial side with ‘When I Close My Eyes’ that’s one for the chicks, nothing wrong with a good song. ‘Time Keeper’ is a little more progressive, and aggressive. But you know we have been waiting 17 years to do the record so we’re allowed to be a bit adventurous, hahaha."

Metal Asylum: Do you have a favorite guitar and why?

Lynch: "Well it changes but last year the GL 56 was indispensable to me, I mean I move around all the time. Right now we are the road with Souls of We and I like ESP Relix Strat. I also started using some of my custom ESPs, the Headhunter guitars you can check em out online (http://georgelynch.ning.com/page/mr-scary-custom-guitars ), I built those myself. Totally customized, distressed all the metal, carvings and all that. We start off with ESP wood necks and just tear 'em apart."

You can read the rest of the interview here.