There are several immutable heavy-metal laws. Metal bands must tour constantly; they must put down women in their songs; they must wear leather and chains; they must let their hair grow halfway to their navels; and they must release at least one useless live double album.

On Beast from the East, the L.A. outfit Dokken respectfully obeys those rules. There's no edge, no rapport with the audience, no attempt to do anything other than replicate studio versions of songs and then add feeble guitar or drum breaks. On this lengthy, thin-sounding record (consumer warning: several numbers on the LP and cassette have been dropped from the CD so that the album will fit on one disc), Dokken plods through everything expected of a mediocre heavy-metal band – harmonies so off that the singers sound as if they were shouting different songs, cries of "Are you ready for a rock & roll party tonight?" and guitar solos that go absolutely nowhere much too fast for much too long. This Beast is no monster. (RS 545)

JIMMY GUTERMAN