If you’ve ever considered a monkish withdrawal from pedal maximalism, Ananashead’s Cream Amp is a fine place to start your journey. It’s a low- to mid-gain distortion derived from the legendarily simple Electra Distortion, a gain device built into Electra guitars in the 1970s, which later found favor among DIY pedal builders and modders. In this Barcelona-built take on the circuit, it’s easy to hear why this simple circuit maintains such enduring appeal.The distortion characteristics of the Cream Amp are quite different from a clean boost. It’s generally dirtier, and at higher pedal-gain settings, where the Cream Amp is happiest, it has a treble-forward tone profile that makes it a fantastic companion for PAF pickups, which balance and flatter the edgier output. Single-coils sound awesome, too, though I gravitated toward the way the Cream Amp fattens a neck-position pickup rather than bridge-position tones, which can sound comparatively brittle. The Cream Amp also works agreeably with other overdrives and Big Muff-style fuzzes that aren’t too peaky in the top end. But I derived the most joy from the Cream Amp when it was the only pedal between my guitar and amplifier—a role that highlights its dynamic and touch-responsive characteristics. If you’re similarly interested in uncomplicated, organic routes to dirty tones, the Cream Amp is a reliably satisfying way to get there.Cream Amp Overdrive

DIETH, the new band featuring former MEGADETH bassist David Ellefson, Swedish guitarist/vocalist Guilherme Miranda (formerly of ENTOMBED A.D.) and drummer Michał Łysejko (ex-DECAPITATED), will release its debut album, “To Hell And Back”, on June 2 via Napalm Records.
Today the band has released…

This fall, the classic season for dark and romantic music, BLACK VEIL BRIDES and VV (Ville Valo) will co-headline a massive tour in select cities across North America. Presented by Hot Topic, the “BVB & VV” 2023 tour (featuring special guests DARK DIVINE) combines three unique bands who champion…

CHEVELLE and THREE DAYS GRACE have announced a 2023 co-headline tour coming this summer/fall featuring special guest LOATHE. Produced by Live Nation, the 23-city trek kicks off on September 8 at Wind Creek Event Center in Bethlehem, making stops across the U.S in Chicago, Los Angeles, Atlanta and m…

HALESTORM’s Lzzy Hale and Joe Hottinger were joined by rising guitar virtuoso Sophie Lloyd during their May 26 “unplugged” performance at the Heavy Music Awards at London, England’s OVO Arena Wembley. The event celebrated the most influential and ground-breaking artists and creatives in the heavy mu…