Lynch Mob and former Dokken guitarist, George Lynch, is the featured guest on Episode 172 of the 80's Glam Metal Podcast. Check out the interview below, wher he discusses Lynch Mob's new album, Babylon, his influences, and the Dokken days. 

On the new Lynch Mob album, Babylon

Lynch: "We didn’t try and go back and channel the first record or anything like that. We just let ourselves be who we are. We have a new singer, Gabriel Colon. He’s really dictating the direction of the material, since he’s singing it. It’s gives us a shot of new blood and energy. It’s a slightly different direction, but I don’t think people will be disappointed. It’s not Wicked Sensation. It’s fresh and takes some different turns. We try and make it interesting for the fans without abandoning our core sound and style." 

About the freedom of creating the Lynch Mob debut and bringing in a more bluesy sound

Lynch: "That was the point of the whole exercise. Not that I didn’t appreciate Dokken for what it was, but it was not the band I would have built. Now, it ended up being a big old happy accident. It was great and people loved it; it worked. Maybe that gives an indication that my instincts aren’t always the best to follow. I was allowed the resources at that point, because of the position I was in, to build my dream band and write and record my dream album. I’m a blues guy at heart and will always be one. It’s influenced all my music. It’s what rock n' roll was born from. Dokken was not a good vehicle for that bluesy side. That’s not what we were. Don’s Scandinavian, we had this ultra white feel to us. I had these tendencies though to bring in these organic, bluesy elements to it and I think that’s what made us different than a lot of the other 80’s bands. When I was able to unleash myself from those constraints, the world was my oyster, so to speak. I couldn’t really do anything but what I did in Dokken. Which was probably a good thing, because you don’t want to do something that doesn’t fit a project. When I was on my own, I was able to open up my musical vistas. It was just an outpouring of musical ideas." 

On if he knew that Don Dokken thought "Wicked Sensation" was a great song

Lynch: "No not really. I can’t imagine anyone hating for any reason! It’s not my favorite song. It’s a little too swingy for me. I play it because it’s our big song. It’s a good song, though." 

On what could have been if Dokken didn’t break up as the 80’s ended

Lynch: "I think our lack of success going beyond the 80’s was due to our personal idiosyncrasies, and nothing to do with our talent or our music. Who knows where our music would have went? We had a chemistry and were capable of playing our instruments well, and we could compose music; all that was easy. Staying together was the hard thing." 

On his favourite Dokken album

Lynch: "I don’t have a particular Dokken album I gravitate to. From Tooth And Nail to Under Lock And Key to Back For The Attack, there’s things I like about all of them. I think Tooth And Nail and Under Lock And Key were the height of the band's energy. I think it started to wane after that. Our edginess, passion, and angst was ebbing a bit because we were becoming rock stars."

On the songwriting on the early albums 

Lynch: "The bulk of the material was written by Jeff (Pilson) and I. That’s the truth. That’s a thing with Don; he goes off and says that he wrote everything. That’s bullshit. Most of the titles, Jeff and I would get them from the TV Guide. Especially for 'Tooth And Nail', 'Without Warning', 'When Heaven Comes Down', 'Don’t Close Your Eyes'... they were all old movie titles."