It has been nearly a decade since the classic Dokken lineup last reunited, and frontman Don Dokken does not reflect positively on the experience.

The group’s classic lineup included Don alongside guitarist George Lynch, drummer Mick Brown, and bassist Jeff Pilson. In 2016, the quartet reunited for the first time since 1997, embarking on a brief series of performances in Japan.

In a recent interview with the SDR Show, Dokken recounted how the reunion came about.

“We did an experiment, and we said, ‘We’ll write one song together,’” he explained. With the classic lineup collaborating again, discussions naturally shifted to touring.

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“I said, ‘I’m not doing America. We’ll go to Japan, and we’ll see if we don’t kill each other,’” the frontman recalled. “We did the Japanese tour. It was a disaster, mostly because of me. I just wasn’t at my best.”

“We just came back and I said, ‘I don’t think this is gonna work,’” Dokken continued. “So that was the end of that.”

Could Dokken Release New Material With George Lynch?

One of the key elements of Dokken’s classic lineup was the chemistry between the frontman and Lynch. While the two rockers enjoyed a prolific partnership, they also had a notorious history of conflicts. In the SDR Show interview, Dokken mentioned that he and Lynch have finally managed to move past their tumultuous history, with the guitarist even making guest appearances at recent Dokken shows.

“We’re old — we’re too old to bicker and fight, even though a couple years ago he went at it again with the lawsuits,” the singer noted. “But that’s in the past. So, we’re both gray-haired now.”

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Dokken further revealed that he and Lynch have discussed the possibility of collaborating on new Dokken material, but emphasized one important condition.

“I talked to George when we played, and I said, ‘I might be up for an EP only.’ But I said flat out, ‘It has to sound like Dokken,’” the singer declared. “‘I’m not trying to insult you, George, but I’ve listened to all your records. It has to be Dokken.’ That’s what the fans want. They don’t want to hear tripped out stuff… George puts out what he puts out, but it has nothing to do with how I write.”