Don Dokken recently discussed the possibility of recording one final EP with former bandmate George Lynch. He set a clear condition for the collaboration during an interview on The SDR Show.
When asked about his previous statements regarding retirement and a potential EP with Lynch, Dokken addressed the ongoing speculation about reuniting with his former guitarist.
“Well, you know, the last 20 or so shows we’ve done the last few months, George was coming on as special guest. And he would play like two songs with us So, you know, and 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, but that’s in the past,” Dokken said.
The vocalist explained how their recent collaborations have evolved. He noted Lynch’s appearances both as a guest and with his own band Lynch Mob.
“So, you know, we’re both gray-haired now. And then the last show he just did, he brought his whole band, the Lynch Mob, and they opened for us. And he still came on stage at the end of the night and he did two songs or three maybe. So, we talked about it and I said, ‘But the problem is I can’t play guitar anymore.’ And I said to George very openly, I said, ‘And you don’t write like I write.’ You know, he’s got his own trip, you know? If you listen to the last four Lynch Mob albums, they have nothing to do with Dokken, right?”
Dokken referenced their previous attempt at collaboration. This included a Japanese tour that he described as unsuccessful.
“We did an experiment and we said we’ll write one song together and that was it’s just another night and just another day and we wrote recorded it made a cool video original members went to Japan. I said I’m not doing America. We’ll go to Japan and we’ll see if we don’t kill each other. And that’s exactly what I said. So we did the Japanese tour. It was a disaster. Mostly because of me. I just wasn’t on my game,” he continued.
Despite past difficulties, Dokken revealed he remains open to the possibility of an EP. However, he has one non-negotiable requirement.
“So now I’ve talked to George and we played and I said I might be up for an EP only, right? You know, but I said flat out it has to sound like Dokken, right? I don’t want 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. You know, they don’t want to hear tripped out stuff, you know,” Dokken stated.
The condition reflects Dokken’s commitment to maintaining the band’s signature sound that fans expect from any potential reunion material.
This latest discussion comes amid ongoing speculation about the band’s future. Dokken has been increasingly vocal about retirement plans throughout 2025. The relationship between the two musicians has been a subject of intense media scrutiny for decades. This stems from the band’s turbulent history and legal disputes.
Wikipedia reported that Don Dokken had previously announced in April 2025 during an interview with Cassius Morris that he was considering retirement. He also mentioned possibly doing a final Dokken show within the next year. During that same interview, he first floated the idea of creating a final EP with guitarist George Lynch. This set the stage for the current discussions between the two musicians.
The media’s fascination with the Dokken-Lynch dynamic has persisted for years. It particularly focuses on their decades-old tensions that contributed to the band’s implosion at the height of their fame. A recent YouTube discussion revealed that the media continues to obsess over their relationship history. This is especially notable considering how the band fell apart just before reaching arena headliner status during their peak popularity in the 1980s.
Lynch has not remained silent about their ongoing disputes. He recently offered his perspective on their troubled partnership. Blabbermouth noted that in a November 2025 interview with Tone-Talk, Lynch defended his position regarding equal band splits. He pushed back against Dokken’s characterizations of their relationship.
“I’ve been the benefactor of his cheating due to his lying in a big way,” Lynch stated during the Tone-Talk interview. He addressed Don Dokken’s alleged dishonesty regarding their business arrangements and defended the concept of equal band splits to avoid what he termed “weak songwriting.”
The potential EP represents what could be the final chapter in one of metal’s most complicated partnerships. Both musicians are now in their 70s and seemingly more focused on legacy than litigation.
