The Boss Heavy Metal pedal is back as the HM-2W and available to buy now

Gilmour used it, Swedish death metal worshipped it thanks to Entombed, Kurt Ballou loves it and other brands have tried to recreate it; the Boss HM-2 is a legendary distortion pedal and now it's finally returned as the latest in the premium Waza Craft line.

It's been a long time coming; it's long-awaited return was confirmed last year but the original HM-2 was only available for a relatively short time after its launch in1983, fuelling demand in the used market for it's dark delights. Now the HM-2W improves the design after Boss actively sought players' suggestions on Facebook. 

BOSS HM 2W Heavy Metal - INTRO - YouTube

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The headline new features are an improved noise floor, +3dB of level and an all-new custom mode. The ultimate chainsaw just got a new blade. 

Thankfully the HM-2W keeps the iconic black and orange design and even offers a Standard mode for purists. But the Waza Craft-tuned Custom mode offers a "more aggressive sound variation." 

But even the original Standard mode has had some welcome tweaks; the noise floor is reduced and the maximum level is increased by 3 dB. The Waza Craft buffer also improves signal quality over the original when the the sound is bypassed.

Entombed - Left Hand Path - YouTube

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Of course the first thing we'll be doing is cranking everything up for pure death metal manna but the HM-2W is capable of much more with its color controls and distortion range.

SWEDISH DEATH METAL GUITAR TONE - YouTube

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The Custom mode adds more gain, attack and sharpness, while the low and high-mid character have been tweaked for enhanced definition. 

The Boss HM-2W is £129 and available from dealers now – more info at Boss.