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

Blood Incantation

"Absolute Elsewhere is a mind-blowing masterpiece." Blood Incantation's new album is two songs long. It's also pure prog-death perfection and one of the best metal albums of 2024

By Dom Lawson published

Blood Incantation confirm themselves as one of the most innovative and interesting bands in modern death metal

Machine Head posing for a photograph in 2011

“I’m watching American TV and it’s like ‘Wow, man… what is this? This isn’t my America’”: How Machine Head followed a 21st century metal classic with Unto The Locust

By Dom Lawson published

Machine Head’s Unto The Locust was the follow-up to career high-point The Blackening – but Robb Flynn wasn’t feeling the presssure

Marillion group shot in 2012 taken at Proud Cabaret surrounded by glamorous women

“It’s hard to be angry young men at our age, but there are some pretty heavy duty lyrics here. Sometimes you’ve got to speak up”: When Marillion defied expectations (again) with Sounds That Can’t Be Made

By Dom Lawson published

The band deliberately – but doubtfully – pushed boundaries with the subjects they explored on their 17th studio album

Trelldom Press Pic

"Dissonant, angular and blearily psychedelic, it absolutely reeks of madness." Black metal icon Gaahl has made one of this year's weirdest extreme metal albums with Trelldom's ...By The Shadows

By Dom Lawson published

Trelldom only return when they have something to say, and new album ...By The Shadows... proves well worth the 17 year wait

Megadeth posing for a photograph in 2009

“I’m going to get into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame one way or another and Lars Ulrich can’t keep me out!” How Megadeth’s Dave Mustaine used old rivalries as fuel for the Endgame album

By Dom Lawson published

Megadeth‘s 2009 album Endgame capped a killer decade for the thrash veterans

Meer – Wheels Within Wheels

“Prog pop, maxed out and magnified… they sound like a band built for enormodomes”: Meer’s Wheels Within Wheels sees them braced for the big time

By Dom Lawson published

Norwegian sibling-powered band increase the drama and bombast on perfectly-produced third album

Nile

Death metal veterans Nile have crafted their best album in nearly 20 years with The Underworld Awaits Us All

By Dom Lawson published

No one does death metal quite like Nile. Their 10th album is a ferocious reminder of why

Body Count posing for a photograph backstage at a gig

“Rage Against The Machine, Korn, Limp Bizkit – we opened that lane up”: How Ice-T and Body Count returned to the fray to reclaim their throne with Manslaughter

By Dom Lawson published

Ice-T is one of metal’s most influential frontman, and 2014’s Manslaughter album proved it

Machine Head posing for a photograph in 1994

“We smoked so much weed that we set off the fire alarms and almost killed everybody with the gas that was going to be released”: The story of Machine Head’s Burn My Eyes, the debut album that revitalised 90s metal

By Dom Lawson published

On the 30th anniversary of Machine Head’s Burn My Eyes, mainman Robb Flynn looks back on the making of his band’s classic debut

Beardfish – Destined Solitaire

“The perfect doorway into a world of energy, invention, badass musicianship and great songwriting”: Beardfish’s 15th anniversary edition of Destined Solitaire

By Dom Lawson published

Rikard Sjöblom and co mark their return with first vinyl version of breakthrough fifth album

Andy Tilllison studio portrait

"While I made the album alone, the bassist and drummer fell out with each other": The Tangent's Andy Tillison wound up arguing with himself as he created To Follow Polaris

By Dom Lawson published

When circumstance presented the opportunity to face a challenge that had always intrigued him, the prog mastermind embraced it fully. But what will happen when his bandmates return?

XTC

“I loved Yes – but for me every eight-minute Yes song could have been four two-minute singles!” It might have taken a while to admit it, but XTC know they were prog

By Dom Lawson published

Emerging in the punk era, they were described as “too clever, “too quirky” and even as “prunk,” but Andy Partridge’s account of the band’s inspiration and motivation makes the truth crystal clear

Orange Goblin

"Science, Not Fiction is a formidable show of strength from one of the greatest bands ever to do it." Almost 30 years in, Orange Goblin have made one of their very best records - and one of the best metal albums of 2024

By Dom Lawson published

Orange Goblin have thrown absolutely everything at their 10th studio album

Megadeth posing for a photograph in 2011

“Nu metal? No guitar solos! Everyone played with their pants down round their ankles… It was a bleak period, but we came through it”: how Megadeth kicked off the 2010s with the blazing Th1rt3en album

By Dom Lawson published

In 2011, Dave Mustaine invited Metal Hammer into his inner sanctum

Destruction holding guitars

“Americans tried to write songs and harmonies. We didn’t care about that. We just wanted to be filthy!”: the snarling, savage story of German thrash

By Dom Lawson published

Metallica and Slayer grabbed the headlines, but they couldn’t match Germany’s Kreator, Sodom or Destruction for filthy viciousness

Suicide Silence against a chain link fence in 2009

“Deathcore? None of those bands can do what we do”: Suicide Silence had a point to prove to the haters, and with No Time To Bleed they rammed it home

By Dom Lawson published

Suicide Silence’s crushing second album, No Time To Bleed, was released on June 30, 2009

Porcupine Tree

“It felt like the right time to me. And I think Gavin and Richard acknowledged this too." How Porcupine Tree returned with Closure/Continuation

By Dom Lawson published

Never say never. After years of speculation and rumours, Steven Wilson reunited with his former Porcupine Tree bandmates Richard Barbieri and Gavin Harrison for one of the most unexpected musical reformations.

Nightwish on the set of the Imaginaerium movie

“I thought the music industry was a circus but it’s nothing compared to the movie industry”: how Nightwish channelled their inner Tim Burton to make the fantastical Imaginaerum movie

By Dom Lawson published

Long before Ghost released Rite Here Rite Now, Nightwish hit the big screen with their Imaginaerum movie

Airbag - The Century Of The Self

“These songs slot neatly into the catalogue – but this is a very different record from its predecessors, if only in sonic terms”: Airbag’s The Century Of The Self

By Dom Lawson published

Norse notables expand their sonic environment with an effective sideways step

Iron Maiden against a space-style background

“People are gonna think it’s either the last album or that we’re Trekkies”: how Iron Maiden made The Final Frontier and silenced rumours they’d reached the end of the road

By Dom Lawson published

In 2010, Metal Hammer joined Iron Maiden on the road in Texas to ask the question: would The Final Frontier really be their last album?

Gentle Giant

“The cape-wielding progressive rock behemoth was not in vogue… there was an effort to make it simpler, but our musical identity was still at stake”: Gentle Giant take a fresh look at The Missing Piece

By Dom Lawson published

Underrated gem or confused mess? Gary Green, John Weathers and Kerry Minnear discuss their 1977 album in the light of Steven WIlson’s remix

The Chronicles Of Father Robin

“We’ve got an application form for the Guinness Book Of World Records”: Are The Chronicles of Father Robin the only band to have spent 30 years on their debut album?

By Dom Lawson published

Norwegian supergroup took decades to deliver The Songs & Tales Of Airoea, but they don’t regret it – and they’re even working on a follow-up

Rick Wakeman seated next to a globe in 1972

“David Bowie was an absolute genius. I learned more from him than from anybody I’ve ever worked with.” Rick Wakeman’s epic tales of sessions with Bowie, Bolan, Lou Reed and more

By Dom Lawson published

Former Yes keyboard maestro Rick Wakeman has played with rock’s great and good over the years – and he’s got the memories to prove it

Steve Harris in British Lion

“Whenever you make an album you’re baring your soul. People will shoot you down. You’ve just gotta bulldoze through it”: how Steve Harris stepped away from Iron Maiden with his debut solo album

By Dom Lawson published

In 2012, Steve Harris launched British Lion - the solo project that took 20 years to get off the ground

Kavus Torabi and Cardiacs

“Surely it’s the greatest psychedelic rock song ever recorded… It makes the whole God thing seem plausible!” Kavus Torabi’s Guide To Cardiacs

By Dom Lawson published

Gong and Knifeworld guitarist recalls his time in Tim Smith’s band via five of their songs chosen by Prog