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In a new interview with Jorge Botas of Portugal’s Metal Global, Marko Hietala was asked if he has any regrets about leaving NIGHTWISH four years ago. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET):  ”Of course. I was regretting it already when I was leaving. But it was not just NIGHTWISH. I’ve sa…

The notion behind a ramping phaser predates the phaser pedal by many moons—namely in the form of the two-speed Leslie rotating speaker. A Leslie isn’t a phaser in the strictest sense, though the physics behind what the listener perceives are not dissimilar, and as any phaser devotee can tell you, there are many audible similarities between the two. At many phase rates and intensities, a phaser stands in convincingly for a Leslie, and the original king of phasers, the UniVibe was conceived as a portable alternative to rotary speakers.Fundamentally, the analog 6-stage Beetronics Larva Morphing Phaser (which, henceforth, we shall call the LMP) effectively mimics the acceleration and deceleration of a two-speed Leslie speaker. That isn’t a new concept in the pedal universe. But Beetronics’ take offers many cool variations on that ramping effect. It also features a wet-signal-only vibrato setting and a nice sounding preamp. And at its core is a rich, deep phase voice that is a distinct alternative to many standard-bearing phasers.Thick As HoneyThere is an inherent richness in the low-to-mid range in the LMP’s phase voice—even at the lowest resonance settings. Beetronics lofty sonic goal and inspiration were the famously warm and dusky Moogerfooger MF-103 12 -stage Phaser, and it certainly It sounds thicker than any of my vintage or vintage-clone phasers, including both 4- and 6-stage models. The heft of this phaser voice will be enough to sell the LMP to some prospective customers. Surely the preamp, which lends its own fatness, contributes something to the low-mid weight. On the other hand, I used the LMP’s preamp alone in front of each of the vintage phasers I tested and each still sounded comparatively thin in that part of the EQ spectrum, so there is something in the modulation section of the LMP circuit that adds its own thump and heft. When you use the phaser in clean and low-gain overdrive situations, that low-mid bump can sound pretty nice, especially if a bright amp or guitar are in the chain or you use reverb or another effect that tends to emphasize treble peaks. Things can get a little more complicated when you stack effects, use big, mid-scooped fuzzes, or situate your phaser at the front of an effects chain. A potential buyer would be wise to investigate how that tone profile fits with the most permanent parts of their rig, and some may dig a more traditional sound that makes room for more detail, but in general I loved the sound, particularly in minimalist effect arrays.Fluid StatesThe ramping or “morphing” effect that is the marquee feature in the LMP is engaging, practical, and opens up many possibilities, particularly in terms of segues and phrase punctuation. Obviously, the independent sets of rate and depth controls for each phase circuit enable morphs between very different phase textures. But it’s the ramp-shape switch that makes the LMP much more than just two phasers in one. In the leftmost position, phaser 1 will ramp up or down to the phaser 2 position at the rate determined by the ramp speed control and stay fixed there until you hit the left footswitch again (clip 1). If you also set the ramp speed to zero, this makes the switches between the two phasers instantaneous.In the middle position, the left footswitch assumes non-latching functionality. It will ramp to the phaser 2 speed when you hold the switch and return to phaser 1 speed when you release. And when you set the ramp rate to zero, you can create momentary and instantaneous switches between speeds as you hold or release the switch (clip 2). In the rightmost position, phaser 1 ramps to phaser 2 as you hold the switch and then moves back to the phaser 1 rate immediately after it is released. I enjoyed using radically different phaser rates for these functions most, but more subdued and mellow shifts are no less useful for lending musical interest in the right context.Hits From the HiveBeetronics famously has fun with their pedal designs. Enclosure graphics are typically bold and eye-engaging, and while that makes the company’s wares feel like treasures among meat-and-potatoes stomps, it can make the pedals needlessly busy to some. A number of players will no doubt feel the same about the LMP, and the cluttered enclosure graphics and blinking lights can have the effect of making the pedal seem less approachable than it is. In fact, the LMP is pretty intuitive once you learn which control is which. The phaser knobs are mirror images of each other. The preamp controls (preamp level and master output) are comparatively petite but grouped conveniently in the center. The chrome-ringed (and very range-y) ramping speed and resonance controls are visually distinct from the rest of the knobs, while the two 3-way toggles for ramping shape and the preamp-only, preamp + phaser, and vibrato + phaser modes are easy to sort out. It’s no model of minimalist, easy-to-read graphics, and I wouldn’t want to sort out this pedal for the first time on a dark stage. In general, though, functionality does not suffer much for the bold appearance.The VerdictThe U.S.-made LMP is a solid, high-quality piece of work that makes its $249 price tag much more digestible. And the degree to which you perceive the cost as excessive will certainly depend on the degree to which you consider phaser, rotary, and vibrato sounds foundational within your musical creations. Accordingly, you should consider the value score here on a sliding scale. But with a fine-sounding and functional preamp section and ramping capability broad enough to span simple Leslie emulation, and radical shifts that can themselves serve as dramatic musical hooks and punctuation, the Larva Morphing Phaser could, for the right player, … um …“bee” more than the sum its parts

In a new interview with Ed Hack of This Day In Metal, HATEBREED frontman, popular podcaster and Milwaukee Metal Fest co-organizer Jamey Jasta was asked what he attributes his success to. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): “You know what? You’ve just gotta block out the detractors and…

On a recent episode of the “Talk Louder” podcast, hosted by veteran music journalist “Metal Dave” Glessner and lifelong hard rock/metal vocalist Jason McMaster (DANGEROUS TOYS), former OZZY OSBOURNE bassist Bob Daisley spoke about how Randy Rhoads, the then-lead guitarist for Ozzy, and two others we…

SHINEDOWN will release two brand-new singles, “Three Six Five” and “Dance, Kid, Dance”, on Friday, January 24. The two songs are available to pre-save now.
During a December 2024 appearance on The Mistress Carrie Podcast, SHINEDOWN bassist and producer Eric Bass, who was promoting his debut solo LP,…

SNOT has recruited Andy Knapp of fellow Southern California band STRONGER THAN MACHINES to front the reunited group for all of its 2025 shows and beyond.
Knapp made his live debut with SNOT Friday night (January 17) at the Parish room at the House Of Blues in Anaheim, California. The performance was…

Wayne “Doobie” Fabra, original drummer of the groundbreaking New Orleans band GRAVEYARD RODEO, died on January 15. He was 58 years old.
Fabra’s death comes a little over five years after the passing of GRAVEYARD RODEO singer Perry McAuley.
Kyle Thomas of fellow New Orleans metal band EXHORDER paid t…

KISS bassist Gene Simmons and his solo band, the GENE SIMMONS BAND, have announced more shows as part of their spring 2025 tour.
Confirmed dates so far:
April 03 – House Of Blues – Anaheim, CA
April 04 – Pechanga Resort Casino – Temecula, CA
April 05 – The Event at Graton Resort & Casino – Rohne…

In a new interview with Meltdown of Detroit’s WRIF radio station, RAVEN frontman John Gallagher talked about METALLICA opening for his band back in 1983 and 1984. The trek marked METALLICA’s first-ever tour. Asked what his thoughts were about METALLICA at the time, John said (as transcribed by BLABB…