Dom Lawson

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Writer

Dom Lawson began his inauspicious career as a music journalist in 1999. He wrote for Kerrang! for seven years, before moving to Metal Hammer and Prog Magazine in 2007. His primary interests are heavy metal, progressive rock, coffee, snooker and despair.

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.

Dom is politically homeless and has an excellent beard

Latest articles by Dom Lawson

Katatonia – Nightmares As Extensions Of The Waking State

Katatonia’s new era begins with Nightmares As Extensions Of The Waking State

By Dom Lawson Published 6 June 25

Sweden’s melancholic masters successfully navigate recent choppy waters to deliver their lucky 13th album

Albums

Dream Theater posing for a photograph in 2016

How prog metal icons Dream Theater went full nerd-mode with epic concept album The Astonishing

By Dom Lawson Published 11 May 25

There’s big, and then there’s Dream Theater’s 2016 prog metal blow-out The Astonishing

Albums

Armored Saint posing for a photograph in the mid-80s

The rise, fall and resurrection of Armored Saint, the cult band who should have been as big as Metallica

By Dom Lawson Published 10 May 25

Armored Saint were one of the greatest 80s metal bands never to hit the big time

Interviews

Machine Head's Unatoned has so many crushing riffs that it should come with a health and safety certificate. This is a band back in peak condition

By Dom Lawson Published 25 April 25

Machine Head's epic bounce back continues with the brilliant Unatoned

Albums

The Devin Townsend albums you should listen to... and one to avoid

By Dom Lawson last updated 16 April 25

Canadian enigma Devin Townsend’s catalogue spans extreme metal, sublime prog-scapes, colossal riffs and extra-terrestrials. Where to begin?

Albums

How an iconic comic book character inspired Anthrax to write a thrash metal classic

By Dom Lawson Published 5 April 25

The story behind a comics-inspired thrash anthem

Tracks & Singles

Machine Head posing for a photograph in 2007

How Machine Head’s The Blackening became their own Master Of Puppets

By Dom Lawson Published 5 April 25

The Blackening remains Machine Head’s masterpiece

Albums

Heaven & Hell posing for a photograph in 2009

How Heaven & Hell resurrected Black Sabbath’s other classic line-up with The Devil You Know

By Dom Lawson Published 29 March 25

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

Albums

Debauched prog revivalists to internet pioneers: The Marillion albums you should listen to

By Paul Elliott Published 27 March 25

Buying guide 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

Buying guide

The unbelievable rise of Opeth, the band who went from death metal no-hopers to prog royalty

By Dom Lawson Published 23 March 25

Inside one of the most remarkable success stories in modern metal

Interviews

“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 20 March 25

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

Biographies

Jethro Tull’s struggle to make Aqualung, in their own words

By Dom Lawson, Malcolm Dome Published 19 March 25

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

Biographies

Black Sabbath posing for a photograph in 1970

The chaotic story of Black Sabbath, the band who did more than anyone to invent heavy metal

By Dom Lawson, Amit Sharma Published 23 February 25

No Black Sabbath, no heavy metal as we know it

Interviews

Entombed posing for a photograph in 1990

The chaotic story of Nihilist, Unleashed, Entombed and the bloody birth of Swedish death metal

By Dayal Patterson, Dom Lawson Published 23 February 25

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

Bands & Artists

Dimmu Borgir posing for a photograph in 2007

How Dimmu Borgir made an irreligious symphonic black metal classic with In Sorte Diaboli

By Dom Lawson Published 22 February 25

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

Interviews

Def Leppard posing for a photograph in 1987

The unbelievable story of Def Leppard’s 80s hard rock masterpiece Hysteria

By Dom Lawson Published 8 February 25

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

Albums

The prog credentials of Mr. Bungle’s Disco Volante

By Dom Lawson Published 27 January 25

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

Albums

Mikael Åkerfeldt, Bruce Soord and others pick their favourite Camel albums

By Dom Lawson Published 22 January 25

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

Albums

“I felt straight away that we were back": The power of music compelled Beardfish to return

By Dom Lawson Published 8 January 25

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

Tracks & Singles

Metal Hammer's 50 best albums of 2024

By Metal Hammer Published 31 December 24

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

Albums

Amon Amarth posing for a photograph in 2009

How Amon Amarth became the world’s favourite 21st century Viking metal berserkers

By Dom Lawson Published 30 December 24

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

Interviews

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

How Porcupine Tree reinvented progressive rock for the 21st century metal generation

By Dom Lawson Published 28 December 24

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

Albums

Seven Impale – City Of The Sun 10th Anniversary

Seven Impale’s City Of The Sun: 10th anniversary edition

By Dom Lawson Published 27 December 24

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

Albums