Dom Lawson

Dom Lawson

Writer

Dom Lawson has been writing for Metal Hammer and Prog for over 14 years and is extremely fond of heavy metal, progressive rock, coffee and snooker. He also contributes to The Guardian, Classic Rock, Bravewords and Blabbermouth and has previously written for Kerrang! magazine in the mid-2000s. From 2014-2016, Dom worked as Editor-At-Large at Metal Hammer, overseeing the front section of the magazine and helping to mould the some of the features that ran in print every month. Outside of his writing duties, Dom has been a longtime radio host for Total Rock, where he currently hosts The Dompilation Tapes, a show dedicated to excellent music from pretty much each and every genre you can think of. Much like his hero, Iron Maiden bassist and founding member Steve Harris, Dom is a lifelong West Ham supporter.

Articles by: Dom Lawson

Anthrax posing for a photograph in 1987

“What did I know at the ripe old age of 22? I knew comics, horror and sci-fi. I couldn’t really write about heartbreak or a horrible upbringing”: How an iconic comic book character inspired Anthrax to write a thrash metal classic

By Dom Lawson published

The story behind a comics-inspired thrash anthem

Machine Head posing for a photograph in 2007

“Once James Hetfield said he liked the album, that was it. He said that it kicked his ass”: How Machine Head’s The Blackening became their own Master Of Puppets

By Dom Lawson published

The Blackening remains Machine Head’s masterpiece

Heaven & Hell posing for a photograph in 2009

“We were a bit drunk, and I slurred to Ronnie, ‘Do you fancy doing an album?’ It was as simple as that”: How Heaven & Hell resurrected Black Sabbath’s other classic line-up with The Devil You Know

By Dom Lawson published

Heaven & Hell’s The Devil You Know was a Dio-era Sabbath record under any other name

Marillion in 1984

From debauched prog revivalists to pioneers of the internet age: The Marillion albums you should definitely listen to

By Paul Elliott published

Since picking up the progressive rock baton from Genesis in the 80s, Marillion have recorded one of prog’s most impressive catalogues, and these are their best albums

Opeth posing for a photograph in 2012

“I was so sick. I had tunnel vision and couldn’t walk. I was crawling to the toilet and I thought I was going to die”: The unbelievable rise of Opeth, the band who went from death metal no-hopers to prog royalty

By Dom Lawson published

Inside one of the most remarkable success stories in modern metal

a portrait of carl palmer

“We took it badly – ‘No one wants us any more!’ We’d never been through the school of hard knocks. We didn’t know what it meant to work hard”: When ELP collapsed, Carl Palmer’s career-long lucky streak ended. But he didn’t give up

By Dom Lawson published

Born into a musical family and a pro by his teenage years with a real-life education in backstage realities, the passionate drummer has seen dreams come true with Arthur Brown, Atomic Rooster, Asia, Mike Oldfield and others

Jethro Tull in 1971

“It’s not about selling 12 million copies … the songs still touch me when I sing them or talk about them to this day”: Jethro Tull’s struggle to make Aqualung, in their own words

By Dom Lawson, Malcolm Dome published

Their fourth album, a prophetic masterpiece and best-selling work, made them stars – but its creation wasn’t easy

Black Sabbath posing for a photograph in 1970

“With the success came all the trappings and we tried every one of them. The drugs, the travel, the women. Our lives were forever changed”: The chaotic story of Black Sabbath, the band who did more than anyone to invent heavy metal

By Dom Lawson, Amit Sharma published

No Black Sabbath, no heavy metal as we know it

Entombed posing for a photograph in 1990

“Once you heard death metal, there was no turning back. Thrash was out of the window. It seemed silly, music for wimps”: The chaotic story of Nihilist, Unleashed, Entombed and the bloody birth of Swedish death metal

By Dayal Patterson, Dom Lawson published

Death metal began in the US - but the early 1990s Swedish scene gave it a run for its money

Dimmu Borgir posing for a photograph in 2007

“Religion never accepts the balance that exists in a human being. It’s just a one-way street. That’s always going to cause conflicts”: How Dimmu Borgir made an irreligious symphonic black metal classic with In Sorte Diaboli

By Dom Lawson published

Dimmu Borgir sealed their status as black metal’s biggest band with 2007’s In Sorte Diaboli

Captain Sensible

“Posh tossers singing about nothing because they had nothing to protest about… it was part of the job to destroy Genesis and Yes”: Punk pioneer Captain Sensible loved plenty of prog – but had to hide it

By Dom Lawson published

The Damned guitarist on spending years ripping off the genre he professed to hate, and the obscure tracks he’d play on Desert Island Discs – if they’d ever let him appear

Def Leppard posing for a photograph in 1987

“In six months, we got through 300 bottles of vodka, 400 bottles of whiskey and cases of beer. It was insane”: The unbelievable story of Def Leppard’s 80s hard rock masterpiece Hysteria

By Dom Lawson published

Four years, one near-fatal car crash and an ocean of booze in the making, Def Leppard’s Hysteria is the 80s hard rock album against which all others should be measured

Mr Bungle – Disco Volante

“A ferociously experimental trip into the outer limits of rock, jazz, soundtrack music, cartoon horror and Zappa-like chaos”: The prog credentials of Mr. Bungle’s Disco Volante

By Dom Lawson published

Bizarre instrumentation and avant-garde construction made Mike Patton and co’s second album a curveball of epic proportions

Steve Hackett

"Chris Squire asked me to join Yes. I was extremely flattered." Astonishing revelations from Steve Hackett when we interviewed him about 2019's At The Edge Of Light

By Dom Lawson published

There were revelations galore about Steve Hackett's twenty-fifth studio album At The Edge Of Light

Andy Latimer

“From here I drew a line to Pink Floyd and painted my room black … who knows where I’d be now if I’d never heard them?” Mikael Åkerfeldt, Bruce Soord and others pick their favourite Camel albums

By Dom Lawson published

Five prog musicians explain the lasting impact of Andy Latimer’s band

Beardfish

“We started by playing an old song and it was a case of the hairs standing up on your arm. I felt straight away that we were back”: The power of music compelled Beardfish to return

By Dom Lawson published

Unable to decide on who should leave, the band of friends broke up in 2016. To their own surprise and delight, they’re back with new album Songs For Beating Hearts – and loving their work more than ever

MHR395 Banner

Metal Hammer's 50 best albums of 2024

By Metal Hammer published

From Judas Priest's Invincible Shield to Nightwish's Yesterwynde and Opeth's return to extremity, these are the metal albums that ruled 2024

Amon Amarth posing for a photograph in 2009

“Everyone was singing about Satan back then, but I don’t believe in Satan so I needed something that was real to me”: How Amon Amarth became the world’s favourite 21st century Viking metal berserkers

By Dom Lawson published

Amon Amarth’s 2008 album Twilight Of The Thunder God transformed them from death metal hopefuls into all-conquering Viking metal chieftains

Porcupine Tree’s Steven Wilson posing for a photograph in 2009

“I could be listening to Abba one minute and then Morbid Angel. It doesn’t seem strange to me”: How Porcupine Tree reinvented progressive rock for the 21st century metal generation

By Dom Lawson published

Porcupine Tree’s 2010 album The Incident capped their rise from cult psychedelicists to prog metal giants

Seven Impale – City Of The Sun 10th Anniversary

“Plenty have paddled in the same murky waters, but few have done it with such eye-popping vigour”: Seven Impale’s City Of The Sun: 10th anniversary edition

By Dom Lawson published

Charting a different course from their Scandinavian contemporaries, new version of their debut album confirms they were right to record without a click track – or indeed brakes

Faust in 2014

“It was a clever tactical manoeuvre, selling an album at the price of a single. Many people bought it to play frisbee with! But it worked”: For Faust, music has always been just a part of the art

By Dom Lawson published

Progressive in word and deed, the German group have never achieved the acclaim they deserve – but that’s never stopped them

Metallica’s Kirk Hammett posing for a photograph in 2011

“A good heavy metal song is like a good horror movie, and vice versa. Heavy metal sounds evil and horror movies are evil!“: Inside Metallica guitarist Kirk Hammett’s lifelong love of horror

By Dom Lawson published

When it comes to horror Metallica’s Kirk Hammett is the man

Whitesnake posing for a photograph in 1987

“We had a plan. Jesus Christ, are you kidding? My whole plan was to make an album that sells more than the last one”: How Whitesnake shed their skin and made a solid gold hard rock classic with the 1987 album

By Dom Lawson published

David Coverdale looks back on the making of Whitesnake’s hair metal-era classic 1987

The metal band Mur

"Anyone who loves epic, powerful and ingenious metal needs this in their ears immediately." Hold those end of year lists: Múr just put out one of the best metal debut albums of 2024

By Dom Lawson published

Another uniquely mesmerising metal band from Iceland has entered the chat

Fear Factory posing for a photograph next to a chain-link fence

“There were fire, floods and riots. We saw LA being destroyed. We channelled that into the record”: How Fear Factory predicted the apocalypse with industrial-metal masterpiece Demanufacture

By Dom Lawson published

The story of Fear Factory’s Demanufacture, the album that rewired metal forever