Boss HM-2

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

Boss HM-2
BrandBoss
ManufacturerRoland Corporation
Dates1983—1991
Technical specifications
Effects typeDistortion pedal
Controls
Pedal controlDistortion (Dist), highs (H), lows (L), output volume (level)
Input/output
Inputsmono
Outputsmono

Background and influence

Boss HM-2 was first issued in 1983. It was originally manufactured in Japan and then in Taiwan.[1] It was designed to emulate the mid-range response of the Marshall stacks.[2] 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] 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, latter of which became a commercial success.[2] 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.[4] Entombed's 1990 album, Left Hand Path, cemented its use in the scene; the pedal is often used with its settings set to maximum to achieve a "buzz saw" sound. It is often referred to as "Swedish Chainsaw" by its fanbase.[5]

Many Boss HM-2 has been collected by guitarist of Entombed and Dismember.

Since its discontinuance, Boss HM-2 became one of the demanded pedals of the Boss back catalogue.[3] Different manufacturers have produced custom pedal clones to emulate its sound.[1][2] Guitarist and record producer Kurt Ballou has been cited as an influence for the pedal's resurgence[6] and bands such as Nails and Rotten Sound have also appropriated the pedal's sound for different extreme metal styles.[7] 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.[5][7]

Notable users
Alex Hellid of Entombed in 2007

Notable users of the pedal include:

References
  1. "Boss shares images of new Waza HM-2W cosmetic prototype on Facebook". Gearnews. Retrieved May 31, 2021.
  2. "BOSS Cult Classics". rolandcorp.com.au. Retrieved May 31, 2021.
  3. Astley-Brown, Michael. "Boss confirms an HM-2 Heavy Metal reissue is in the works". Guitar World. Retrieved May 31, 2021.
  4. Schneider, David (September 28, 2019). "The Buzzsaw Riffs of the Stockholm Scene". Premier Guitar. Retrieved May 31, 2021.
  5. Seah, Daniel. "Here's a First Look At The Boss Hm-2 Waza Craft Reissue". guitar.com. Retrieved May 31, 2021.
  6. Corfield, Chris. "The 10 coolest discontinued Boss pedals". Guitar World. Retrieved May 31, 2021.
  7. "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.
  8. Greeves, David (Dec 2011). "Matt Cox: MIDI Tech for The Chemical Brothers". Sound On Sound. United Kingdom. Retrieved 2022-08-10.
  9. SWEDISH DEATH METAL TONE
  10. "Bassically Speacking: Ben Green, Godflesh". Bass Guitar: 15. February 2015. Archived from the original on 15 February 2016.
  11. Hawkins, Chris. "Interview: Alex Hellid of Entombed". antiheromagazine.com. Retrieved May 31, 2021.
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