Author: planetsixstring

SLIPKNOT has shared an official video recap of the band’s first two shows with its new new drummer, former SEPULTURA sticksman Eloy Casagrande.
The one-minute clip, which can be seen below, includes footage from the intimate show on April 25 at Pappy + Harriet’s in Pioneertown, California and SLIPKN…

In a new interview with Kat Mykals of the 103 GBF radio station, JUDAS PRIEST singer Rob Halford was asked about the lyrics to the band’s song “Crown Of Horns”, which appears on PRIEST’s latest album, “Invincible Shield”. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): “I love love. It’s the best four…

In a new interview with Jeff Gaudiosi of MisplacedStraws.com, former TESLA drummer Troy Luccketta spoke about his decision to leave the band more than two and a half years ago. He said: “First of all, the COVID thing happened, and that shut us down. That gave me time to take some time off and reflec…

With over a million produced, the MT-2 Metal Zone is Boss’s second-most-popular overdrive ever—a significant accomplishment, considering Boss pedals have been ubiquitous for decades. I’ve got two Metal Zones. But, much like the late Rodney Dangerfield, the Metal Zone often “don’t get no respect.”My first Metal Zone was simply abandoned at a guitar camp I taught at. Despite efforts to find its owner, it was never reclaimed. The second one was part of a package deal where the seller must have been getting rid of what he considered his undesirables: a Boss BF-2 with a faulty power-supply jack that only works with batteries, a Boss BCB-60 pedalboard with foam that stinks and is filled with irremovable allergens or something that always makes me itchy, and a perfect-condition Metal Zone—all for a mere 35 bucks.But somehow, over the decades, the Metal Zone got a bad rap. The endless hordes of preteens that butchered “Crazy Train” through a Metal Zone at their local Guitar Center probably didn’t help. Even with a new Waza Craft edition in Boss’s lineup, things haven’t changed much. If you read an internet discussion of the Metal Zone, you’re guaranteed to find someone boldly commenting that it sounds like “buzzing bees.”Likewise, if you search “Boss Metal Zone” on YouTube, the first thing that comes up is Ola Englund’s “Boss Metal Zone—Worst Distortion Pedal Ever?” video, which currently has over 3.5 million views. You’ll also see “What’s the Worst Pedal Ever? Boss Metal Zone Pedal, Demo” by Marty Schwartz, a famed YouTuber with over four million subscribers. And there are many more videos along the same lines. But if you dig deeper, you’ll find that despite those derisive, clickbait titles, many Metal Zone videos actually praise the little demon. And with good reason!“What immediately grabs my attention is its ridiculous sustain; for soloing, the pedal makes legato licks feel fluid and easy to play.”When the Metal Zone first came out in 1991, it was literally the hottest piece of gear in the guitar world. It was the undisputed star of a stompbox shootout of 29 pedals in the October 1992 Guitar Player. The magazine’s editors proclaimed: “We knew the Metal Zone was a hot item when we couldn’t keep our test sample long enough to photograph it. The store we borrowed it from had sold it and was back-ordered 50 units.” The story was followed by comments like, “This thing starts off where others leave off,” “Mind-blowing. Never heard so much bass,” “Definitely a must-have,” and “Totally sick!” The shootout concluded with “The Boss Metal Zone easily grabbed top metal honors. Its absolutely fierce sounds make the $139.50 price tag [editor’s note: list price] seem like a deal.”If you’ve used one before, you’ll likely agree—this silicon-driven, two-stage-clipping circuit is a really badass pedal! What immediately grabs my attention is its ridiculous sustain; for soloing, the pedal makes legato licks feel fluid and easy to play. For sharp and percussive metal rhythms, the Metal Zone also kills. With its massive bottom end, it has given me heavier sounds than I’ve gotten with more expensive pedals or high-gain amps. The Metal Zone has more tone-shaping options than many other dirt pedals. There are six controls crammed into the space of four. In addition to the level and distortion knobs, the EQ dials are dual-function concentric—high and low, and mid freq and middle, which boosts or cuts the frequency you have the mid freq set to. Some players enjoy using the Metal Zone as a preamp, straight into the effects loop. Others put it between the guitar and amp. However you fire it up, if you invest time into fine-tuning the settings for your needs, you’ll be greatly rewarded.If you’re a hard-rock or metal player, the Metal Zone is a no-brainer. Pro players like Biffy Clyro’s Simon Neil and Megadeth’s Dave Mustaine have used the Metal Zone. But it’s also surprisingly versatile—even Prince used one! Despite its name, it can convincingly get into mid-gain overdrive territory, and with the distortion knob around 9 o’clock, it’s pretty touch sensitive.At only $99 new—$50 more for the Waza version—and, if you’re lucky, maybe $20 or so used, the Metal Zone is incredibly undervalued. I wouldn’t be surprised if the Metal Zone makes its way back to the top of the pedal pyramid some day. Guitar players are notoriously fickle and tend to be very impressionable. It just takes something as simple as one artist association and the tide can turn for any piece of gear. The Marshall ShredMaster became a cult classic simply because it was used by Jonny Greenwood of Radiohead. Maybe if John Mayer uses a Metal Zone the next time he covers “Panama,” it will again reign supreme.

Fan-filmed video of ANTHRAX’s May 9 performance at the Welcome To Rockville festival in Daytona Beach, Florida can be seen below.
According to Setlist.fm, the setlist for the show was as follows:
01. Among The Living
02. Caught In A Mosh
03. Madhouse
04. Metal Thrashing Mad
05. Efilnikufesin (N.F.L….

With MIDI programmable features, all-tube high-voltage preamp, and included Friedman Editor software, the IR-D delivers classic tube tone with modern control.Friedman Amplification has introduced the IR-D dual-channel tube preamp, an entire Friedman rig in a compact pedalboard-friendly package. The IR-D boasts two fully independent identical foot-switchable channels which are based on Dave Friedman’s legendary Dirty Shirley/Twin Sister designs. This Dave-modded JTM45circuit delivers the signature British tone that Friedman is known for.Powered by two high-voltage 12AX7 preamp tubes, each channel delivers the harmonic richness and touch response of Dave Friedman’s finest designs. DSP IR cabinet/power amp simulation sends a studio-quality mic’d-up tone to your DAWor Front-of-House. The IR-D provides easy-to-use controls without complex menus and 100-page manuals.IR-D isn’t simulating a Friedman tube preamp. It is one. While many available preamp pedals utilize tubes to ‘warm up’ their digital or solid-state circuit, two glowing hot 12AX7 preamp tubes, running at the proper high voltage, are this pedal’s beating heart. A genuine preamp in every way, IR-D delivers all the tone, response, gain characteristics, and harmonic complexity you expect from a Friedman design. Both channels feature their own independent and highly tweakable Boost circuits. This essentially gives you four channels, accessible with the tap of your toe.All great tube amps need a great speaker cabinet, and whether sending your signal straight to the board or silently playing through the onboard headphone output. IR-D gives you a selection of Dave Friedman’s favorite IRs. Select the IRper channel using the 3-way mini toggle switches or load your own quickly and easily via Friedman’s editing software. You can even disengage the onboard IRs entirely to use IR-D’s tube preamp with another IR loader.The Friedman Editor software includes 13 free Friedman IRs to choose from. The first three listed below are the ones which are factory set to the hardware.1. 6402 57 121Dave Friedman’s favorite 4×12 cab in bare wood. This is Dave’s primary workshop cab and has been used to voice his amplifiers since the very beginning. It’s fitted with four 6402 Greenback speakers and was captured with an SM57 and R-121 for a nice balance of cut and body.2. 1960 GREEN 5757121This cabinet IR is the classic 1960B cabinet from the 80’s. Fitted with 20w British Greenbacks. It has a distinctive sonic signature that sings 80’s to modern rock tones. Captured with a pair of SM57 on two speakers, along with a R-121 to help fill out the body of the sound. These were fed into a set of API preamps with a touch of EQ to enhance the presence.3. DS112 57 1973The Friedman Dirty Shirley 1×12 open-back speaker cabinet with a G12-50GL features a detailed top end with an airy bass and mid response. A perfect choice for clean tones or if you’re looking for a more bluesy sound. Captured with an SM57 and a Soyuz 1973 into API preamps.​The IR-D’s transparent effects loop allows you to easily integrate your favorite effects with everything from the most straightforward setups to the most complex digitally controlled rigs. IR-D is MIDI-capable. Whether pulling up presets with a pedalboard controller or switching channels with the laptop running your entire show, IR-D is ready for the job. It truly is the perfect marriage of modern control and classic tube tone.IR-D gives you broad tonal control, but its included Friedman Editor software takes it to a new level. With it, you can tweak each channel’s power amp simulation via the Thump and Presence controls, load your favorite IRs, activate the Boost Lock feature, select loop ON/OFF, and save it all to 128 MIDI presets.IR-D Features ​All-tube HIGH-VOLTAGE preamp – DI2 x 12AX7 preamp tubes Two independent identical channels + boostBased on Friedman’s legendary Dirty Shirley/Twin Sister designsMIDI programmable features:Channel select / BoostIR selectThump and Presence – three-way switch per channelEffects loop ON/OFFBoost LockPower amp simulation with software editable Presence and Thump (per channel)Low latency Impulse Response cabinet simulation (bypassable)Three-position CAB/IR select switch per channel (programmable via software)13 free Friedman IRs or load your own Boost Volume and Gain controls (per channel)Volume and Gain controls (per channel)Full EQ consisting of Bass, Middle, and Treble (per channel)2-way Bright switch (Per Channel)3-way Structure switch (Per Channel)Three multi-function foot switchesUltra-transparent series FX loop (bypassable)TRS balanced output, Headphone outputMIDI 5-pin standard connector and USB MIDIUSB software editor – powered by SYNERGYUniversal 12V Power Supply IncludedThe Friedman IR-D carries a street price of $499.99. For more information, please visit friedmanamplification.com.​Friedman Ir-D Dual-Tube Preamp Di+Ir Dual-Channel 12Ax7 Tubes Effects Pedal Black And Silver

MEGADETH appears on the latest Pollstar’s Live75 chart, which tracks active tours by the average tickets sold for shows that happened over the past 30 days.
According to Pollstar, five of the 12 MEGADETH concerts from the band’s just-completed Latin American “Crush The World” tour moved a total of 7…

Former SEPULTURA drummer Eloy Casagrande has opened up about his recent decision to leave the band and join SLIPKNOT. The 33-year-old musician, who was a member of the veteran Brazilian/American metal band for 12 years before exiting the group in February in order to hook up with the Iowa-based mask…