Boss HM-2
BossHM2HeavyMetal.jpg
BrandBoss
ManufacturerRoland Corporation
Dates1983—1991 (Original)
2020—present (Waza Craft)
Price$90 (Original launch)
Technical specifications
Effects typeDistortion pedal
Controls
Pedal controlDistortion (Dist), highs (H), lows (L), output volume (level), standard and custom mode (Waza Craft)
Input/output
Inputsmono
Outputsmono

Boss Heavy Metal-2, abbreviated as Boss HM-2, is a guitar distortion pedal manufactured by Boss from October 1983 until October 1991. Designed to emulate Marshall stacks, it became associated with the Swedish death metal sound known as "Chainsaw tone" and gained a cult following in the heavy metal scene.

Background

Boss HM-2 was first issued in October 1983. It was originally manufactured in Japan from 1983 until 1988 and then in Taiwan from 1988 until 1991.[1] It was designed to emulate the mid-range response of the Marshall stacks.[2] Boss HM-2 is based on Boss DS-1. Despite achieving a moderate success in the glam metal scene, the pedal was discontinued in 1991; it was succeeded by Boss HM-3 Hyper Metal and Boss MT-2 Metal Zone, the latter of which became a commercial success and top-selling Boss pedal.[2]

Since its discontinuance, Boss HM-2 became one of the most demanded pedals of the Boss back catalogue.[3][1][2] Guitarist and record producer Kurt Ballou has been cited as an influence for the pedal's resurgence[4] and bands such as Nails and Rotten Sound have also appropriated the pedal's sound for different extreme metal styles.[5]

In 2020, Boss Corporation president Yoshi Ikegami announced that the pedal would be reissued as a part of the Waza Craft pedal series under the name Boss HM-2W. For the reissue, the company also established a Facebook group to seek design feedback from the fanbase.[6][5] The prototype of Boss HM-2W was tested by Ola Englund.

The Waza Craft version added standard and custom mode to the Boss HM-2W.

Swedish death metal and Chainsaw tone

Boss HM-2 with maximum settings, this settings became well known in Swedish death metal scene to achieve the "Chainsaw" tone

The pedal is well known for its chainsaw tone when the settings of all knobs are set to the maximum. Leif Cuzner of Swedish death metal band Nihilist used these settings to create his sound, and bands like Entombed, Dismember, and Bloodbath followed suit. Many Swedish bands have used the Boss HM-2 with a Peavey amp to achieve this sound. In the 1990s, the pedal attracted a cult following in the underground heavy metal scene due to its formative influence over the Swedish death metal sound.[7] Entombed's 1990 album, Left Hand Path, cemented its use in the scene.[6]

Boss HM-2 with Boss MT-2. These pedals were used by Swedish melodic death metal bands like At the Gates and In Flames in the 1990s.
TC Electronic Eyemaster, a Boss HM-2 clone.

At the Gates's 1995 album, Slaughter of the Soul, combined the Boss HM-2 with Boss MT-2 and Boss SD-1.

Many Boss HM-2 pedals, especially ones made in Japan, have been collected by the guitarists of Entombed and Dismember.

The pedal still remains popular among Swedish guitarists.

Control

According to Michael Astley-Brown of Guitar World, compared to the other distortion pedals, the pedal offered "radically versatile low and high ‘Color Mix’ EQ controls with 20 dB of boost/cut."[3]

Notable users

Alex Hellid of Entombed in 2007
Ola Englund of The Haunted has used the Boss HM-2 and Boss HM-2W

Notable users of the pedal include:

References

  1. 1 2 "Boss shares images of new Waza HM-2W cosmetic prototype on Facebook". Gearnews. Retrieved May 31, 2021.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 "BOSS Cult Classics". rolandcorp.com.au. Retrieved May 31, 2021.
  3. 1 2 Astley-Brown, Michael. "Boss confirms an HM-2 Heavy Metal reissue is in the works". Guitar World. Retrieved May 31, 2021.
  4. ↑ Corfield, Chris. "The 10 coolest discontinued Boss pedals". Guitar World. Retrieved May 31, 2021.
  5. 1 2 3 "Boss is bringing the HM-2 Heavy Metal back from the dead as a Waza Craft reissue – and it wants your design input". MusicRadar. Retrieved May 31, 2021.
  6. 1 2 Seah, Daniel. "Here's a First Look At The Boss Hm-2 Waza Craft Reissue". guitar.com. Retrieved May 31, 2021.
  7. ↑ Schneider, David (September 28, 2019). "The Buzzsaw Riffs of the Stockholm Scene". Premier Guitar. Retrieved May 31, 2021.
  8. ↑ Rotten Sound on Facebook
  9. ↑ Twitter
  10. 1 2 The Greatest Boss Metal Zone MT-2 Moments
  11. ↑ Instagram
  12. ↑ Greeves, David (Dec 2011). "Matt Cox: MIDI Tech for The Chemical Brothers". Sound On Sound. United Kingdom. Retrieved 2022-08-10.
  13. 1 2 GEAR GODS RIGGED - Entombed A.D.
  14. 1 2 3 HM-2: The Sound of Swedish Death Metal and Beyond
  15. 1 2 3 SWEDISH DEATH METAL TONE
  16. ↑ Bloodbath: Blood Brothers
  17. ↑ Equipboard
  18. ↑ "Bassically Speacking: Ben Green, Godflesh". Bass Guitar: 15. February 2015. Archived from the original on 15 February 2016.
  19. ↑ Hawkins, Chris. "Interview: Alex Hellid of Entombed". antiheromagazine.com. Retrieved May 31, 2021.
  20. 1 2 3 Boss HM-2
  21. ↑ BOSS HM-2W | The Legend Returns
  22. ↑ Dismember - Casket Garden (Robert Sennebäck Guitar Playthrough)
  23. ↑ Twitter
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