The song and album "Erase the Slate" by Dokken is the title track from their seventh studio album, which was released in 1999. The song itself is a fast-paced, aggressive track that opens the album, with many listeners and critics noting its return to a harder, more traditional 1980s-style heavy metal and hard rock sound, contrasting with the more experimental feel of the band's preceding 1997 release, Shadowlife. This album is a significant entry in the band's history as it features a new guitar player: Reb Beach, formerly of Winger, who replaced longtime guitarist George Lynch. "Erase the Slate" is the only Dokken studio album to feature Beach on guitar. The rest of the lineup consisted of core members Don Dokken on lead vocals, Jeff Pilson on bass and backing vocals, and Mick Brown on drums and backing vocals. It also marks the final studio album appearance for long-time bassist Jeff Pilson. The song "Erase the Slate" is credited to a collaborative songwriting effort by the entire lineup: Mick Brown, Don Dokken, Jeff Pilson, and Reb Beach. The track and the album as a whole are generally seen as an effort to "erase the slate" of their mid-90s output and reconnect with the fierce musical style that originally made them popular.