Must Have Guitar Pedals For Metal Players

Metal guitarists live and die by their distortion pedal, so I spent real time with five units on my own rig (5150 into a 4×12, plus a Kemper for comparison) before writing this to bring you the best guitar pedals for metal players.

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Boss Metal Zone MT2

This one gets trashed online constantly, and I get why. Out of the box with the mids scooped all the way, it sounds thin and buzzy. But dial the mids back up to noon or higher and cut the low end slightly, and it turns into a genuinely tight, aggressive pedal that tracks palm mutes cleanly. I run mine as a boost into an already dirty amp channel and it tightens everything up without turning to mush. Cheap, everywhere, and much better than its reputation once you learn the EQ.

Check price on Thomann here.

MXR Fullbore Metal

My personal favorite for straight up modern metal. The gain range goes from a mild crunch to full on wall of noise, and the noise gate built into the pedal actually works well, which is rare at this price point. Chords stay defined even with the gain cranked, and the low end doesn’t collapse into flub the way a lot of high gain boxes do. If you play anything in the death metal or metalcore space, this pedal will get you there fast.

Check price on Thomann here.

Boss HM 2

The classic Swedish death metal box, and it still sounds exactly like every Entombed and Dismember record you have heard. Both tone knobs maxed out gives you that buzzsaw texture that defined an entire genre. It is a one trick pony though. Outside of that specific sound, it is honestly not that useful, so buy this one knowing exactly what you want from it.

Check price on Thomann here.

ISP Decimator

Not a distortion pedal, but I am including it because no metal board is complete without a proper noise gate. High gain amps and pedals generate a lot of hiss and hum, and the Decimator kills it without choking your sustain or creating that awkward chopped off feeling some gates give you. If you already own a great distortion pedal but your rig sounds noisy between notes, this fixes that problem completely.

Check price on Thomann here.

Electro Harmonix Metal Muff

Built on the Big Muff circuit but reworked for modern gain levels. It has a mid boost switch that adds a sharp, cutting frequency bump, useful for solos that need to punch through a dense mix. On its own as a rhythm tone it can feel a bit loose compared to the MXR or Wampler, but stacked in front of an already dirty amp, it adds a nice edge without overwhelming the original tone.

Check price on Thomann here.

If I had to pick just one for a typical metal rig, it would be the MXR Fullbore Metal. It handles the widest range of subgenres without needing much tweaking, and the built in gate saves you from buying a separate noise suppressor right away.

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Tom Rouse

Gear Reviewer at GSG Media at Contact Me

I'm GSG Media's gear reviewer, and I spend my time testing new releases and figuring out what's actually worth your money versus what's just good marketing. I dig into specs, compare them against real world use, and never take a brand's word for it when I can test something myself. What matters most to me is honesty, if something isn't worth buying, I'll say so, and if it genuinely earns its price tag, I'll tell you exactly why. I want readers to get straight, no nonsense recommendations.

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