Latest articles by Dom Lawson
“I could have ‘guitarist for Genesis and Yes’ on my CV”: Why Steve Hackett didn’t take up Chris Squire’s Yes offer
Hackett was in reflective mood when he released 2019 album At The Edge Of Light – which he described as not remotely progressive, explaining why that was a good thing
The 80s metal anthem that turned the band who wrote it into global superstars – and the X-rated title it nearly had
Things could have turned out very different if the drummer had his way
“I was 100 per cent sure I was going to die”: Leprous’ Einar Solberg faced his teenage demons on solo debut 16
Abandoning attempts to dial down his own drama, he delivered a moving and multifaceted collection of collaborations in 2023. He immediately wanted to do it again
"We went to his place, had a jam, and then he asked if I’d ever played with a Ouija board."
Recording outside Germany for the first time, Warlock's swansong would also launch an international metal icon
This is the end, but Megadeth are leaving us with an absolute killer of a final album
Megadeth will be missed, but what a final record to leave us with
Every year the most unlikely prog supergroup spend three days shaping weirdo music. It works.
The trio have refined their approach to a project they only started for fun, admitting it’s exploded beyond any of their expectations and changed they way they look at their more usual activities
In the desperate moments before grunge, this British band offered an ambitious alternative
Anomaly-chasing quartet’s challenging response to funk metal came out of their love for Rush, Phil Collins and being odd
How Machine Head made a Master Of Puppets for the 21st century
Machine Head’s The Blackening is one of the greatest metal records of the 21st century
How 747 (Strangers In The Night) made Saxon unexpected stars of the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal
Inspired by a widespread blackout in the 1960s, the Yorkshire band switched from their usual “street fighting and girls” lyrics and reached new heights
Metal Hammer's albums of the year: 2025
From chart-toppers Ghost and Sleep Token to rising stars Lorna Shore and Spiritbox, 2025 has been a massive year for metal
How a dead psychic inspired Iron Maiden to make one of the maddest concept albums of the 80s
Maiden’s seventh album is the ultimate fan favourite
Jethro Tull’s manager asked Ian Anderson to write a hit. He tried not to, but failed
1969’s Living In The Past reached the Top 10 in both the UK and US, and led to an uncomfortable experience on Top Of The Pops
Devin Townsend discusses his prog world (while he’s hiding from his dogs)
Stick-collecting Canadian who preferred Motorhead to Marillion says Captain Beefheart didn’t know he was nuts, the Interstellar soundtrack floored him, and the Wildhearts are prog
10 Cardiacs albums to listen to and one to avoid
Cardiacs are easy to hate, with music that's unfathomable at times, but for fans of the weird and wonderful there's nothing else like them
The heartbreaking tragedy that produced a cult early 90s metal anthem
Armored Saint should have been bigger than they were – but they produced a classic in Last Train Home
Fuelled by humanistic thinking and pure, feminine power, Bianca's debut album is more proof that black metal has progressed far beyond Satanism and petulant rebellion
This is a special debut from a special new force in extreme metal
“Displays the ethos that first endeared them to space cadets”: Ozric Tentacles’ Through The Magick Valley
Latest box set spans 2002 to 2015 in style containing 10 discs and a hardback book
“Overwhelming, progressive as hell and utterly unique”: Peter Hammill’s solo box set
183-song box set offers a colossal overview of the Van der Graaf Generator vocalist and eternal musical outlier
Simple ideas and happy accidents took a Dutch band to the pinnacle of prog. And yodelling.
Master craftsmen’s 1971 release was a unique fusion of ingenuity, passion and febrile chemistry – plus some tension – and they never looked back
“The anchor that Genesis revolved around”: An appreciation of Tony Banks
Pattern-Seeking Animals keyboardist praises Banks’ ear, taste and understatement, which he argues is essential to everything Genesis achieved
Looking for the best thrash metal album of 2025? Testament have your back with Para Bellum
40 years in, Testament are still doing it louder and better than most bands that arrived in their wake
I'm an Iron Maiden fanatic and decided to rank every single one of their live albums from worst to best
UPDATED Iron Maiden are the undisputed heavy metal daddies of live albums. Here's every one they've released so far, in reverse order of excellence
Can Vimic's Open Your Omens live up to Joey Jordison's legacy?
Almost a decade since Vimic first released music, their debut album Open Your Omen is finally here
