Boss HM-2

Boss HM-2 was first issued in 1983. It was originally manufactured in Japan and then in Taiwan.[1] It was designed to emulate the mid-range response of the Marshall stacks.[2] According to Michael Astley-Brown of Guitar World, compared to the other distortion pedals, the pedal offered "radically versatile low and high ‘Color Mix’ EQ controls with 20 dB of boost/cut."[3] Despite achieving a moderate success in the glam metal scene, the pedal was discontinued in 1991; it was succeeded by Boss HM-3 Hyper Metal and Boss MT-2 Metal Zone, latter of which became a commercial success.[2] In the 1990s, the pedal attracted a cult following in the underground heavy metal scene due to its formative influence over the Swedish death metal sound.[4] Entombed's 1990 album, Left Hand Path, cemented its use in the scene; the pedal is often used with its settings set to maximum to achieve a "buzz saw" sound. It is often referred to as "Swedish Chainsaw" by its fanbase.[5]

Boss HM-2 with Boss MT-2, this main pedal combination of Swedish melodic death metal, band like At the Gates and In Flames are using this pedal.

Many Boss HM-2 especially Made in Japan has been collected by guitarist of Entombed and Dismember.

Since its discontinuance, Boss HM-2 became one of the demanded pedals of the Boss back catalogue.[3] Different manufacturers have produced custom pedal clones to emulate its sound.[1][2] Guitarist and record producer Kurt Ballou has been cited as an influence for the pedal's resurgence[6] and bands such as Nails and Rotten Sound have also appropriated the pedal's sound for different extreme metal styles.[7] In 2020, Boss Corporation president Yoshi Ikegami announced that the pedal would be reissued as a part of the Waza Craft pedal series under the name Boss HM-2w. For the reissue, the company also established a Facebook group to seek design feedback from the fanbase.[5][7]

Boss HM-2 with maximum settings, this settings became well known in Swedish death metal scene to archive "Chainsaw" tone

The Waza Craft version added Custom mode to the Boss HM-2w, like Boss MT-2w.

Alex Hellid of Entombed in 2007

Ola Englund of The Haunted has own Boss HM-2 and Boss HM-2w

Notable users of the pedal include:

• Mika Aalto[8]
• Michael Amott[9]
• Anders Björler[10]
• David Blomqvist[2]
• Justin Broadrick[2]
• The Chemical Brothers (with a Juno-106)[11]
• Uffe Cederlund[2]
• Leif “Leffe” Cuzner[2]
• Nico Elgstrand[12]
• Niclas Engelin[13]
• Ola Englund[14]
• Euronymous[15]
• David Gilmour[2][7]
• G. C. Green[16]
• Alex Hellid[2][17]
• Todd Jones[2]
• Martin Larsson[18]
• Guilherme Miranda[19]
• Anders Nyström[2]
• Mike Schleibaum[20]
• Tomas Skogsberg[21]
• Dan Swanö[2]
• Kurt Ballou
• Bilinda Butcher
• Nocturno Culto
• James Sedwards

Wikimedia Commons has media related to BOSS HM-2 Heavy Metal.

• Official website