Articles by Dom Lawson

Machine Head's Burn My Eyes: Riots, religious cults and one hell of an album

By Dom Lawson

In a year of game-changing albums, Burn My Eyes was truly one for the ages. Inspired by riots, religious cults and a desire to push the boundaries of heavy music, this is the story behind an absolute classic

What Camel really thought about John Field’s cover art for Moonmadness

By Dom Lawson

Camel's Andy Latimer tells us about Moonmadness’ unique artwork

The story behind Camel's Moonmadness

By Dom Lawson

Camel guitarist Andy Latimer looks back at the creation of Moonmadness, one of the all-time classic prog albums.

Iron Maiden - four reissues of The Beast, reviewed

By Dom Lawson

Four slabs of prime Iron Maiden from a tricky, transitional time: Fear Of The Dark, The X-Factor, Virtual XI and Brave New World

The greatest metal records that never were

By Alex Chillingworth, Adam Rees, Stephen Hill, Dom Lawson, Dannii Leivers

Unfinished or abandoned, these are the records from some of metals' biggest names that remain lost in time

A photograph of Amon Amarth and Grand Magus playfighting

Amon Amarth vs Grand Magus: who are the ultimate Vikings?

By Dom Lawson

We pit Amon Amarth and Grand Magus' frontmen against each other in the ultimate Viking test. But who will have Odin on their side?

Venom's Black Metal: From metal's black sheep to forging a new genre

By Dom Lawson

Venom never planned on changing heavy music forever. They just wanted to write songs that were as ugly, heavy and fast as possible...

Iron Maiden: How We Made Brave New World

By Dom Lawson

When Bruce Dickinson and Adrian Smith returned to Iron Maiden in 1999, the pressure was on the metal legends to deliver an album that could take them back to greatness

Heilung's Furtha is an album of unstoppable primal power

By Dom Lawson

The amplified historians deliver another psychedelic sermon

The origin of death: How Possessed sparked a metal revolution

By Dom Lawson

More than three decades since their last album, Possessed, death metal’s OGs, are ready to show the world of extreme music how it’s done again. What took so long?

EXCLUSIVE: Death metallers Pathology premiere brutal AF new track

By Alice Pattilo, Dom Lawson

Ex-Cattle Decapitation and The Locust drummer, Dave Astor, drops Hieroglyphs On Cement Walls with his band Pathology

The 10 essential melodic death metal albums

By Dom Lawson

Melodic death metal, melodeath – call it what you want. Here are the albums you need in your life

Exclusive: Unboxing Venom's In Nomine Satanas 40th anniversary box set

By Alice Pattillo, Dom Lawson

Dom's back with his Iron Sandwich and he's unboxing the new deluxe vinyl set from extreme metal pioneers, Venom

How Rush made Hemispheres

By Dom Lawson

Geddy Lee recalls the creation of Rush's sixth studio album Hemispheres

‘I’m a f**king berserker!”: inside the mind of Slipknot’s Sid Wilson

By Dom Lawson

Slipknot's hyperactive DJ spills the beans about broken heels, wheelchair skillz and the joys of buying MC Hammer pants

The Memory Remains: Robb Flynn on Burn My Eyes

By Dom Lawson

25 years of Machine Head's debut album Burn My Eyes – how does Robb Flynn remember it now?

Coven, blood oaths and the real story of how heavy metal was born

By Dom Lawson

Devil horns, hailing Satan, a song called Black Sabbath. No, it’s not a metal highlight reel: they were all found on Coven's unsung classic from 1969

Venom Prison’s demonic Samsara album is a twisted modern death metal classic

By Dom Lawson

Brit death metal firebrands delve deeper into the dark on second album

Mystifier’s first album in 18 years is cult Brazilian metal at its best

By Dom Lawson

Brazil’s subterranean terror squad return in malevolent splendour with Protogoni Mavri Magiki Dynasteia

The story behind the song: I Am The Law by Anthrax

By Dom Lawson

Anthrax's Scott Ian delves inside the comic-powered song that took the thrash icons to greatness

Candlemass’ new album The Door To Doom is a masterclass in epic metal

By Dom Lawson

Doom metal pioneers Candlemass enlist Tony Iommi and their original singer on stellar new album

Steve Hackett: Chris Squire asked me to join Yes!

By Dom Lawson

And other revelations as he discusses his latest album At The Edge Of Light...

At The Gates‘ Slaughter Of The Soul: the album that changed metal forever

By Dom Lawson

With 1995‘S Slaughter Of The Soul album, Sweden’s At The Gates blazed a burning new trail for metal

The 50 best Pantera songs ever

By Dom Lawson

Counting down the 50 best Pantera songs as voted by Metal Hammer readers

Slayer: every song on Reign In Blood ranked from worst to best

By Dom Lawson

Reign In Blood is a stone-cold classic. But even stone-cold classics have their duff moments