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

Melvins Tarantula Heart

"Tarantula Heart is the best Melvins album since the 90s": They shaped sludge metal and inspired Nirvana, but Melvins are still punk metal weirdos on new album Tarantula Heart

By Dom Lawson published

Grunge forerunners and sludge metal pioneers Melvins are pushing the envelope again with their new - and 27th! - album Tarantula Heart

Glass Hammer

"We both wanted to rock out, so we started coming up with those kinds of pieces and it made us all feel great so we just kept going." Glass Hammer and the making of Dreaming City

By Dom Lawson published

Glass Hammer co-founder Steve Babb tells Prog why the band decided to step into the world of swords and sorcery for Dreaming City.

Judas Priest

Every Judas Priest album ranked from worst to best

By Dom Lawson, Rich Hobson published

Judas Priest are the ultimate defenders of the faith: here's how we ranked their incredible, storied back catalogue

Hamferd

"No wonder this beautifully bleak record is so heavy": Faraoese doom merchants Hamferd prove the worst things do happen at sea with monolithic new concept album Men Guðs Hond Er Sterk

By Dom Lawson published

Based on real-life tragedy on the Faroe Islands, Hamfrerd;s new album Men Guðs Hond Er Sterk is one of the most stunningly crushing doom metal albums you're likely to hear in 2024

Van der Graaf Generator

"It’s a maths geek’s love song to maths!" The story of Van der Graaf Generator's A Grounding In Numbers

By Dom Lawson published

Van der Graaf Generator's third reunion album, 2011's A Grounding In Numbers saw the trio working with shorter form but no less complex material

Jo Quail

“Before I wrote The Cartographer, I would’ve avoided using anything except strings – because I didn’t understand and had no cause to”: Jo Quail learned to write for trombone just in time to add energy to her EP set Invocation/Supplication

By Dom Lawson published

Experimental cellist explains how she took two very different musical approaches and blended them with the very different voices of Maria Franz and Lorenzo Esposito Fornasari

Cannibal Corpse

“I shouldn’t speculate why we were singled out, other than because we were massively offensive”: how Cannibal Corpse became death metal’s first million selling band

By Dom Lawson published

Blood, guts and Jim Carrey – the epic story of death metal provocateurs Cannibal Corpse

Steve Harris of Iron Maiden performs at Rogers Bayfest in Sarnia, ONT Canada on July 14, 2012 in Sarnia, Canada

“It might be significant that my two favourite pieces of music of all time are Supper’s Ready and Thick As A Brick”: What Iron Maiden’s Steve Harris learned from prog

By Dom Lawson published

The guiding light of NWOBHM geeks out on Peter Gabriel leaving Genesis, covering Jethro Tull but not wanting to meet Ian Anderson, the length of ELP solos, his struggle to get into Marillion and more

Meshuggah shouting into the camera in 2008

“People think we get our calculators out and work out some kind of complex mathematical formula”: how Meshuggah redefined tech metal for the 21st century

By Dom Lawson published

With 2008’s landmark obZen album, Meshuggah were streets ahead of the competition – and the kings of punking other bands

Between The Buried And Me

"We like to keep the fans on their toes, and we like to keep ourselves on our toes too." The story of Between The Buried & Me's Automata concept albums

By Dom Lawson published

US prog metallers Between The Buried & Me Automata concept albums were so complex the band released them as two separate discs

Earthside

“While recovering, I didn’t want to stress myself out, so we didn’t rehearse as much. Luckily when I write the music, I give the hard parts to everyone else!” Earthside’s choice between aiming for perfection and getting their second album out ASAP

By Dom Lawson published

It took eight years to deliver Let The Truth Speak, amid world events, personal health issues and logistical challenges – but the result is bold, cinematic and defies all expectation

Queensryche

"We’re not a band that writes about fast cars, hot chicks and partying." How Queensrÿche got their prog metal groove back with The Verdict

By Dom Lawson published

Seven years into their reinvention with Todd La Torre at the front, the new, rebuilt Queensrÿche are stronger than ever before. But with album number 15, they haven’t lost sight of their past.

Camel

“Genesis, Floyd and ELP all received so much more popularity… I’ve always just accepted who and where we were and I don’t think about why we didn’t reach those same heights”: Andy Latimer is happy if Camel managed to matter

By Dom Lawson published

Despite having once discovered that “orchestras are a bunch of little kids and hooligans,” the band leader wanted to return to the Albert Hall after reinventing The Snow Goose

Mark Hollis

“A beautiful farewell from an instinctively progressive talent”: Talk Talk’s Mark Hollis made one stunning solo album, then walked away for ever

By Dom Lawson published

Vocalist’s 1998 release was full of prog promise for the future, but turned out to be his last artistic statement before his 2019 death

Job For A Cowboy in 2024

"This is highly evolved, ferociously intelligent brutality." Job For A Cowboy have returned after a decade away with a modern deathcore masterpiece in Moon Healer

By Dom Lawson published

Job For A Cowboy return in spectacular style for their first album in ten years

Joey Jordison and Wednesday 13 posing in 2010

"It was an honour to watch Mick Mars play our dumb songs!" How a secret meeting, some serious growing up and a Motley Crue legend helped Murderdolls reunite for their final album

By Dom Lawson published

In 2010, Joey Jordison and Wednesday 13 reunited for another round of shock-rock mayhem

Avenged and The Rev

"The first thought about the band that went through my mind was: ‘The band’s over.'" How Avenged Sevenfold found the strength to carry on after the death of The Rev - with the unlikely help of Mike Portnoy and the guy who wrote 50 Cent's biggest hit

By Dom Lawson published

In 2010, Avenged Sevenfold attempted to rally and continue their career after experiencing the unimaginable

Ihsahn

"The most ambitious and extravagant album of his career." Ihsahn's self-titled new album is a triumph for one of metal's greatest visionaries

By Dom Lawson published

Ihsahn's latest offering may just feature the best work of his career

Jo Quail

“However high-falutin’ the intention, you’re still onstage as an entertainer, so make a performance out of it!” Jo Quail claims it’s easy to write orchestral prog metal - and to be fair, she does make it sound easy

By Dom Lawson published

Electric cellist’s classical-stroke-metal masterpiece The Cartographer makes maximum impact from one basic concept, but the real magic is in the delivery

Iron Maiden 2021

The 10 best 21st-century Iron Maiden songs

By Dom Lawson published

We all love the ’80s classics, but these later Maiden jams still show The Beast at their best

Transatlantic

“It’s a blessing and a curse… there’s times you feel like they’re hacking up your child! But the real freedom comes in trusting that it will all work out for the best”: How supergroup Transatlantic made Kaleidoscope

By Dom Lawson published

Neal Morse, Mike Portnoy, Pete Trewavas and Roine Stolt either flowed together like streams entering a powerful river – or made a pact to leave control-freak tendencies at the studio door

The Residents

“They offer a stern challenge to newcomers… they are not a straightforward band, and their music remains almost impossible to describe”: the Residents’ prog credentials

By Dom Lawson published

The band of eyeballs have been tearing up the rule book time and time again since the 70s, and remain difficult to define

Happy The Man with Ken Scott

“We were insisting we’d maintain our own identity, and perform a set before Peter Gabriel joined us onstage… I’m pretty sure that’s what soured the deal!” Happy The Man’s very brief stint as Gabriel’s backing band

By Dom Lawson published

The trials and tribulations – sometimes self-induced – of trying to be a prog band in America

“You get a few people that bring notepads and binoculars, but a lot of people find the fun aspect appealing… It’s not prog because it’s silly, it’s not jazz because it’s loud and it’s not rock because it’s weird”: So what are The Aristocrats?

By Dom Lawson published

Born of a fun jam in 2011, Guthrie Govan, Bryan Beller and Marco Minnemann would rather tell jokes on stage than just take turns playing solos

Primus circa 1992

The Primus and Les Claypool albums you should definitely own

By Dom Lawson published

Primus might be an acquired taste, but at their best this musically unique and gloriously oddball trio made some truly compelling records