Finally, some really great info on how to get an awesome Swedish death metal sound from your guitar.
The secret: the Boss HM-2
The classic Swedish death metal tone comes from one pedal. The Boss HM-2 Heavy Metal. Turn every knob all the way up. That is the trick. It gives a buzzing, chainsaw sound that is thick and nasty.
Entombed made it famous on Left Hand Path in 1990. Dismember, Grave, and many others followed. A lot of those records were cut at Sunlight Studio in Stockholm, which became part of the sound too.
Gear checklist
- Boss HM-2, or a clone. The originals cost a lot now.
- A solid state amp or a clean tube amp. Let the pedal do the work.
- Down tuning. Most bands tuned to D or C standard.
- Guitars with humbuckers. Explorers and Les Pauls are common.
Books and gear
- Swedish Death Metal by Daniel Ekeroth
- Choosing Death: The Improbable History of Death Metal and Grindcore
- Boss pedals guide
- Gibson Explorer
- Epiphone Gothic 1958 Explorer
Death metal t-shirts
Browse our death metal t-shirts.