dom-lawson

Metal superstars Avenged Sevenfold: ‘Reading Camus led to psychedelic exploration with a shaman’

They weathered the death of their drummer to score back-to-back US No 1s – frontman M Shadows explains why they’ve now left ‘hockey arena metal’ behind to make an absurdly polarising album

Dom Lawson

05, Jun, 2023 @9:15 AM

All doom and boom: what’s the heaviest music ever made?

From Swans to Sunn O))), heavy music isn’t just about volume – it’s about atmosphere, intent and bowel-rupturing physicality

Dom Lawson

24, Nov, 2020 @1:00 PM

This one's for Lawrence of Arabia! Meet Sabaton, the heavy metal military historians

With songs about panzer divisions and Soviet bomber squadrons, the Swedish band are careful to respect the fallen – even as they party on a giant cruise ship

Dom Lawson

02, Jan, 2020 @1:00 PM

Download festival review – fire, fury and hymns to the dark side

Headliners Slipknot and Def Leppard lead the way on a long weekend of big riffs and shouting

Dom Lawson

17, Jun, 2019 @11:13 AM

Behemoth review – jolts of brutality from modern metal's kings of darkness

Through fire and smoke, Adam ‘Nergal’ Darski and his roaring feral hell-bangers churn up elation and menace to prove the devil still has the best tunes

Dom Lawson

10, Feb, 2019 @1:20 PM

Slayer review – thrash legends unleash a barrage of malevolence

The LA four-piece’s final world tour delivers a furious rush of excitement in a celebratory sweep through 37 years of mayhem

Dom Lawson

04, Nov, 2018 @2:46 PM

Hollywood Vampires: 'You've got to have ego to do what we do'

Alice Cooper, Joe Perry and Johnny Depp discuss addiction, rock-star excess, middle-age mellowing – and the mythical all-star drinking club that gave the band their name

Dom Lawson

15, Jun, 2018 @9:28 AM

Download festival review – Guns N' Roses dominate metal's biggest party

Marilyn Manson is a chilled-out entertainer, Avenged Sevenfold comfortably top the bill and Ozzy Osbourne feels the love during the metal marathon

Dom Lawson

11, Jun, 2018 @10:09 AM

Machine Head review – thrillingly brutal metal marathon

The pioneering rockers deliver a thunderous show that passes in a blur of flailing limbs, airborne beer – and furious politics

Dom Lawson

20, May, 2018 @1:17 PM

Alter Bridge review – a stunning, symphonic metal band reborn

Royal Albert Hall, London
The bombastic arena-rockers’ overblown songs are pushed to new limits of sonic excess in a thrilling collaboration with the Parallax Orchestra

Dom Lawson

03, Oct, 2017 @11:51 AM

Bloodstock festival review – metal's big friendly giants head for Valhalla

Amon Amarth wheel out the Viking paraphernalia, Municipal Waste break crowdsurfing records and Megadeth unleash epic power in an excellent tour of the metal scene

Dom Lawson

14, Aug, 2017 @11:37 AM

Pentakill: how a metal band that doesn’t exist made it to No 1

The band from the game League of Legends has stormed the charts and bagged cameos from the likes of Tommy Lee – despite existing only in the imaginations of their creators

Dom Lawson

06, Aug, 2017 @2:00 PM