Dokken has added former Winger guitarist Reb Beach to their line-up, a replacement (finally) for the long-departed George Lynch.

Beach has recently been on the road with Alice Cooper but he will be linking up with Don Dokken, Jeff Pilson and Mick Brown in time to record a new album. The band is still in the writing stages at this point but plan on powering up the console as early as next month, according to manager Nick John. The group is also expected to launch a short tour in October.

John confirms that Don Dokken has been working on an acoustic solo album, but says it's a long-term project that's been designated to the back burner. His concentration will be on Dokken, the hard rock band. Pilson, though, will likely be doing double duty. He's currently shopping a completed CD with his pop-ish side project, A Better Mousetrap, a band that he fronts.

Meanwhile the aforementioned Lynch appears to have given up on the Lynch Mob. He first formed that band when Dokken broke up in 1990, and resurrected a version of the group in 1997 after leaving a reformed Dokken late last year. The original Lynch Mob included Lynch, Brown, Anthony Esposito and singer Oni Logan, although Logan was replaced by Robert Mason. Most recently, the band toured with vocalist John West when Logan, who had been included in the resurrection, again left the group. Now Lynch is saying that he won't continue under Lynch Mob without Logan.

In related news, Kelly Gray, who produced Dokken's last album, "Shadow Life," has been officially announced as the new guitar player in Queensrÿche replacing Chris DeGarmo, who left the group last year and is currently playing in Jerry Cantrell's band. Gray has been producing the new Queensrÿche album, which is nearing completion. According to their official website, they're currently recording vocals.

Queensrÿche have not revealed what label the record will be issued on, although they do say they have a new deal in place. The group was a casualty of the closing of the North American EMI label last year. The last single from their most recent album was issued on Virgin.