Best distortion pedal for a metal tone!

[Nathan80]

I recently returned a mxr 5150 peda because it dd not have enough gain . Now for the part where everyone takes this the wrong way((i own a 6505, triple rec, jsx, 5150 50watt,randall rg100, orange super crush 100, and four 4 12 cabs. But i just got a orange pedal 'baby and its so much fun at home. So my question is whats the best high gain distortion pedal out there that sounds like a amp the mxr did not sound like my 6505 or evh 5150, maybe the rythm channel at best. Im currently using a boss waza mt2 and i know people claim its bad but im looking at the chug pedal or the friedmen be od deluxe or the tight metal . Wicth ever one sounds more metal and like a amp let me know.

[Nathan80]

Oh i should clarify, Pantera, megadeth, and hair metal/80s,, but mostly high gain metal....ha

[Mincer]

You might check out the Palladium, which was designed for that sort of thing. The Diamondhead also is a highly tweakable metal distortion and boost in one pedal.

[ehdwuld]

MT2 by Boss (MetalZone)

[Hsb]

For those, you want say a Marshall in a box boosted with a tube screamer style pedal, so maybe a JHS Angry Charlie pushed by a TS 808

[Securb]

tight metal .

I play high-gain metal. For my most aggressive tone I use a Wampler Dracarys High Gain Distortion. It actually has a TIGHT switch. The EQ is very shapeable, and there is more than enough gain onboard. I dime the GAIN on my MXR D+, the Wampler Dracarys. I have the GAIN at 1 o'clock, and it is more than enough gain for old-school thrash.

[El Dunco]

You could do the 80s trick of treating a distortion pedal as a preamp (some sound amazing in the FX return) and boosting with an overdrive pedal. Better yet, use a proper preamp pedal like a Mooer or AMT legend and push it with a powerful overdrive with separate bass and treble controls. The Blackstar HT-metal all tune distortion is going for an absolute steal on the used market right now with enough tight, molten gain for any metal genre. OD1 can be used as a clean channel so it’s very much geared towards being a preamp. I’m considering getting one until I can get my amazing HT-Blackfire fixed. It suddenly stopped working. I have the liftetime guarantee certificate but it doesn’t seem to be be helping much.

You’re pretty much spoiled for choice. From Inexpensive and very tweakable (Biyang Metal End King Version) to the Revv G3 preamp pedal. AMT have these new 12AX7A powered “brick” preamps. You can buy several and hook them up so they work like individual amp channels. Of course today’s multi-fx amp models sound better than ever.

I honestly never found a distortion pedal run into the clean channel that surpassed my amp’s gain channel. What kind of sound are you after? The Metalzone can sound downright crushing in the amp fx return and dialling in the eq properly.

[DankStar]

I haven't tried them all by any means, but I have tried and bought several.

My faves that I own:

Classic Hot-Rod Marshall sounds
1. OG Ibanez tube king (prob not metal enough for ya, but screams old Annihilator to these ears)
2. Crunch box (less amp-like but I love it)
3. AMT jcm 800 + TS or Super OD

Higher gain
1. AMT engl
2. AMT rectifier + TS

Love me some AMT

----
One I always wanted to try: Revv G3 (purple one)

[Rex_Rocker]

Yeah, I would much rather go for a preamp than a standard distortion pedal.

Distortion pedals aren't really metal, TBH, unless you're using like a Metal Zone to boost your Recto or an HM-2 and are from Sweden, LOL.

[Coma]

I tried the Metalzone into Fx loop return just the other day and it ain't bad, actually. Way better than they ever sounded in front of an amp. You might also want to check out some of those mooer two-channel mini preamp pedals. I've never tried one myself, but I've heard good things about them.

[misterwhizzy]

I'm sure a Revv pedal could get you where to go. I haven't played the G3, but the G4 has more than enough gain for anything you could possibly want, and it's a complete preamp, so you'll have plenty of tweakability. And good luck finding a better-built pedal.

[Aceman]

Just gonna throw this out there: EHX Metal Muff w/ Top Boost

[ErikH]

I have the MXR 5150 Overdrive and find that it has plenty of gain for metal. It's designed after the blue channel of the EVH 5150 III amp. Need more? There is a "boost" button on it, or hit it with a booster in front.

[El Dunco]

Just gonna throw this out there: EHX Metal Muff w/ Top Boost

I have to agree. The people I know who hated took it back when I tried it. They were using awful speakers. It’s not as fuzzy as you’d expect being a muff. It’s GIGANTIC sounding. You can palm mute no problem and they sound Schwarzenegger muscular.

The too boost is a point of contention for a lot of people but like anything, experiment. It does a fantastic job at let your leads come through very audibly in the mix by boosting the most audible frequency range. It can do low tunings nicely. It does what a lot of modern met distortions don’t; actually sound special by being aggressive.

There is such thing as too tight which is what you get when you sacrifice too much punch, grind, aggression and presence to get it. Metal Muff brings that aggression which is sorely missed while letting your notes stay clear and coherent. It makes an absolutely killer preamp into your FX loop with any decent cab.

The absolute ultimate pedal-only rig to me would be the Metal Muff and the Blackstar HT-Blackfire on the Fury channel with either a line mixer to blend them in mono parallel or stereo with one per 2 speakers of a 4x12. It doesn’t /have/ to be combined with a surgically tight but I really love that sound. Try the Metal Muff! It’s awesome!

[RanchManSandy]

buddy if you want GAIN an HM2 is right up your alley. the waza version is a BEAST

Otherwise, I would recommend building an Aion FX Solstice (Shredmaster clone with extra options) and boost it with something when you need MORE