Editing Back for the Attack

{{for|the wrestling pay-per-view event|NWA Back for the Attack}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2015}}
{{Infobox album
| name = Back for the Attack
| type = studio
| artist = [[Dokken]]
| cover = Dokken - Back for the Attack.jpg
| released = {{start date|1987|11|2}}
| recorded = December 1986,<ref name="Central">{{cite web |url=http://www.dokkencentral.com/index.php/biography |title=Bio - Dokken |publisher=Dokken Official Website |access-date=January 20, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140407135014/http://www.dokkencentral.com/index.php/biography |archive-date=April 7, 2014}}</ref> <br> August 1987<ref name="Central" />
| studio = {{flatlist|
*[[17 Hertz Studio|One on One]], North Hollywood
*Music Grinder, Hollywood
*[[Total Access Recording|Total Access]], Redondo Beach, California
*Rumbo, Canoga Park, Los Angeles
*Can-Am, Reseda, Los Angeles
}}
| genre = *[[Glam metal]]
*[[Heavy metal music|heavy metal]]
*[[arena rock]]
| length = 63:02
| label = [[Elektra Records|Elektra]]
| producer = [[Neil Kernon]]
| prev_title = [[Under Lock and Key]]
| prev_year = 1985
| next_title = [[Beast from the East]]
| next_year = 1988
| misc = {{Singles
| name = Back for the Attack
| type = studio
| single1 = [[Dream Warriors (song)|Dream Warriors]]
| single1date = February 18, 1987<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/FMQB-Album/1987/FMQB-1987-01-30.pdf|title=FMQB|page=45}}</ref>
| single2 = [[Burning Like a Flame]]
| single2date = December 1987<ref>{{cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/greatrockdiscogr00stro/page/230/mode/2up|title=The Great Rock Discography|year=1995|page=230 |isbn=9780862415419 |last1=Strong |first1=Martin Charles }}</ref>
| single3 = Heaven Sent
| single3date = March 25, 1988<ref>{{cite web |title=Dokken — Heaven Sent |url=https://dutchcharts.nl/showitem.asp?interpret=Dokken&titel=Heaven+Sent&cat=s |access-date=2023-08-05}}</ref>
| single4 = So Many Tears
| single4date = June 1988<ref name="Strong">{{cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/greatrockdiscogr00stro/page/230/mode/2up |title=The Great Rock Discography |year=1995 |page=230 |isbn=9780862415419 |last1=Strong |first1=Martin Charles|publisher=Canongate Press }}</ref>
}}
}}

'''''Back for the Attack''''' is the fourth studio album by American [[Heavy metal music|heavy metal]] band [[Dokken]], released on November 2, 1987, through [[Elektra Records]].

''Back for the Attack'' was [[RIAA certification|certified Gold]] and [[RIAA certification|Platinum]] on January 14, 1988.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?content_selector=gold-platinum-searchable-database |title=RIAA Searchable Database: search for Dokken |publisher=[[Recording Industry Association of America]] |access-date=September 28, 2015}}</ref> The album sold about 1,5&nbsp;million records worldwide.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Why Don Dokken owns the band name Dokken | website=[[YouTube]] |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ARwmSDBEKM4 |date=2023-10-11 |access-date=2023-10-15 |language=en}}</ref>

A [[remaster]]ed edition featuring a bonus track was reissued in 2009 through [[Warner Music Group|Warner Music Japan]]. It is the band's best-selling album, reaching No. 13 on the U.S. [[Billboard 200|''Billboard'' 200]]<ref name="Album">{{cite web |url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/back-for-the-attack-mw0000193818/awards |title=Back for the Attack Billboard Almums |work=[[AllMusic]] |publisher=[[All Media Network]] |access-date=October 8, 2015 }}</ref> and remaining on that chart for 33 weeks.<ref name="Billboard">[{{BillboardURLbyName |artist=dokken |chart=all}} "Dokken - Chart history"]. ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]''. Retrieved March 4, 2015.</ref>

Three singles also charted on ''Billboard'''s [[Mainstream Rock (chart)|Mainstream Rock]] chart: "[[Dream Warriors (song)|Dream Warriors]]" reached No. 22, "[[Prisoner (Dokken song)|Prisoner]]" at No. 37, and "[[Burning Like a Flame]]" at No. 20 as well as No. 72 on the ''Billboard'' [[Billboard Hot 100|Hot 100]].<ref name="Singles">{{cite web |url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/back-for-the-attack-mw0000193818/awards |title=Back for the Attack Billboard Singles |work=[[AllMusic]] |publisher=[[All Media Network]] |access-date=October 8, 2015 }}</ref>

The single "Dream Warriors" was originally released in February 10, 1987,<ref name="Central" /> as the theme song for the horror film ''[[A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors]]''.

The album title for ''Back for the Attack'' was taken from an earlier Dokken song of the same name, recorded during the sessions for ''[[Under Lock and Key]]'' (1985) and released as the B-side to "Dream Warriors". It was later included in the 2009 remastered edition of the album as a bonus track.

==Critical reception==
{{Music ratings
| rev1       = [[AllMusic]]
| rev1score  = {{Rating|3|5}}<ref name="AllMusic">{{Cite web |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/release/back-for-the-attack-mr0003133288 |title=Back for the Attack - Dokken {{!}} Release Info |language=en |website=AllMusic |access-date=2023-08-05}}</ref>
| rev2       =''[[Martin Popoff|The Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal]]''
| rev2score  = 8/10<ref name="Martin">{{cite book |author= Martin Popoff |title=The Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal: Volume 2: The Eighties |publisher=[[Collector's Guide Publishing]] |date=November 1, 2005 |location=[[Burlington, Ontario]], Canada |isbn=978-1-894959-31-5}}</ref>
| rev3 = ''[[Rock Hard (magazine)|Rock Hard]]''
| rev3score = 8.5/10<ref>{{Cite web |title=DOKKEN - Back For The Attack |url=https://rockhard.de/reviews/dokken-back-for-the-attack_179651.html |access-date=2021-07-02 |website=ROCK HARD Heavy-Metal-Magazin |language=en}}</ref>
}}

Barry Weber at [[AllMusic]] wrote that ''Back for the Attack'' "certainly isn't Dokken's greatest album, yet it remains a worthwhile listen". He praised the band for sounding "tighter than they ever have before", with frontman [[Don Dokken]] and guitarist [[George Lynch (musician)|George Lynch]] being "at the top of their game."<ref name="AllMusic" />

Canadian journalist [[Martin Popoff]] praised the album, which "offers length, variation and a sense of ambition as never before", and called it "one of those lost records brimming with bravado" but not so unique to be "one's life soundtrack". He added that the "excruciating" circumstances of its recording took their toll as the band tried to assemble "a more competent, mature, substantial record".<ref name="Martin" />

Paul Elliott at ''[[Classic Rock (magazine)|Classic Rock]]'' called it "[[arena rock]] with a [[heavy metal music|heavy metal]] edge" and "an album filled with anthems", while remarking that "it was with this album that their glory days ended".<ref>Elliott, Paul (June 12, 2015). [https://www.loudersound.com/reviews/dokken-back-for-the-attack "Dokken: Back For The Attack"]. ''[[Classic Rock (magazine)|Classic Rock]]''. [[Future plc|Future]]. Retrieved May 2, 2024.</ref>

The album was ranked number 12 on Metal Rules list of the Top 50 Glam Metal Albums.<ref name="Rules">{{Cite web |title=METAL RULES |url=http://www.metal-rules.com/polls/index.php?id=8 |date=2017-11-26 |access-date=2021-02-25 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171126083532/http://www.metal-rules.com/polls/index.php?id=8 |archive-date=November 26, 2017}}</ref>

==Track listing==
All Credits adapted from the original LP.<ref name="Credits">{{cite AV media notes |title=Back for the Attack |others=[[Dokken]] |year=1987 |type=LP sleeve |publisher=Elektra Records |id=9 60735-1 |location=[[Bearsville Studios]], [[Bearsville, New York]]}}</ref>

{{Track listing
| headline = Side one
| title1 = Kiss of Death
| writer1 = [[George Lynch (musician)|George Lynch]], [[Don Dokken]], [[Jeff Pilson]]
| length1 = 5:51
| title2 = Prisoner
| writer2 = Lynch, Pilson, [[Mick Brown (musician)|Mick Brown]]
| length2 = 4:20
| title3 = Night by Night
| writer3 = Pilson, Lynch, Brown, Dokken
| length3 = 5:23
| title4 = Standing in the Shadows
| writer4 = Dokken, Lynch, Pilson
| length4 = 5:07
| title5 = Heaven Sent
| writer5 = Dokken, Lynch, Pilson
| length5 = 4:52
| title6 = Mr. Scary
| note6 = instrumental
| writer6 = Lynch, Pilson
| length6 = 4:31
}}

{{Track listing
| headline = Side two
| title7 = So Many Tears
| writer7 = Dokken, Lynch, Pilson
| length7 = 4:56
| title8 = [[Burning Like a Flame]]
| writer8 = Lynch, Pilson, Dokken, Brown
| length8 = 4:46
| title9 = Lost Behind the Wall
| writer9 = Lynch, Brown, Dokken, Pilson
| length9 = 4:19
| title10 = Stop Fighting Love
| writer10 = Pilson, Lynch, Dokken, Brown
| length10 = 4:52
| title11 = Cry of the Gypsy
| writer11 = Dokken, Pilson, Lynch
| length11 = 4:51
| title12 = Sleepless Night
| writer12 = Lynch, Brown, Pilson
| length12 = 4:32
| title13 = [[Dream Warriors (song)|Dream Warriors]]
| writer13 = Lynch, Pilson
| length13 = 4:42
| total_length = 63:02
}}

{{Track listing
| headline = Remastered edition bonus track
| title14 = Back for the Attack
| writer14 = Dokken
| length14 = 3:51
| total_length = 66:53
}}

==Personnel==
All credits adapted from the original LP.<ref name="Credits" />

===Dokken===
*[[Don Dokken]] – lead vocals
*[[George Lynch (musician)|George Lynch]] – guitar
*[[Jeff Pilson]] – bass, backing vocals
*[[Mick Brown (musician)|Wild Mick]] – drums, backing vocals

===Production===
*[[Neil Kernon]] – producer, [[audio engineer|engineer]]
*[[Toby Wright]], Matt Freeman, [[Eddie Ashworth]], Andy Udoff, Steve Klein, Stan Katayama – assistant engineers
*[[Steve Thompson (musician)|Steve Thompson]], [[Michael Barbiero]] – [[mixing engineer|mixing]] at [[Bearsville Studios]], Bearsville, New York
*[[Bob Ludwig]] – [[mastering engineer|mastering]] at [[Masterdisk]], New York

==Charts==
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
|-
!Chart (1987–1988)
!Peak <br> position
|-
{{Album chart |Canada |25 |chartid=0940 |artist=Dokken |album=Back for the Attack |rowheader=true |access-date=October 30, 2023}}
|-
!scope="row"|Finnish Albums ([[The Official Finnish Charts]])<ref>{{cite book |last=Pennanen |first=Timo |title=Sisältää hitin – levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1972 |edition=1st |publisher=Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava |location=Helsinki |year=2006 |isbn=978-951-1-21053-5 |language=fi}}</ref>
|align="center"|18
|-
!scope="row"|Japanese Albums ([[Oricon]])<ref>{{cite book |title=Oricon Album Chart Book: Complete Edition 1970–2005 |publisher=[[Oricon|Oricon Entertainment]] |location=Roppongi, Tokyo |year=2006 |isbn=4-87131-077-9 |language=ja}}</ref>
|align="center"|21
|-
{{Album chart |Sweden |19 |artist=Dokken |album=Back for the Attack |rowheader=true |access-date=October 30, 2023}}
|-
{{Album chart |Switzerland |25 |artist=Dokken |album=Back for the Attack |rowheader=true |access-date=October 30, 2023}}
|-
{{Album chart |UK2 |96 |date=19871115 |rowheader=true |accessdate=October 30, 2023}}
|-
!scope="row"|US [[Billboard 200|''Billboard'' 200]]<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.billboard.com/music/dokken/chart-history/billboard-200 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180509053546/https://www.billboard.com/music/dokken/chart-history/billboard-200 |title=Dokken - Chart history - Billboard |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |archive-date=9 May 2018 |access-date=15 April 2021}}</ref>
|{{center|13}}
|}

== Certifications ==
{{Certification Table Top}}
{{Certification Table Entry |region=United States |artist=Dokken |title=Back for the Attack |award=Platinum |type=album |relyear=1987 |certyear=1988}}
{{Certification Table Bottom |nosales=true}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Dokken}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Back For The Attack}}
[[Category:Dokken albums]]
[[Category:1987 albums]]
[[Category:Elektra Records albums]]
[[Category:Albums produced by Neil Kernon]]