Product Review: BOSS MT-2 Metal Zone Distortion Pedal

Every metal guitarist knows that good tone is imperative to the overall sound. I will be reviewing the BOSS MT-2 Metal Zone. As an owner, I can tell you the ups and downs of the BOSS MT-2 Metal Zone distortion pedal.

Price: It is very affordable and can usually be purchased for less than $100 brand new. An optional power adapter is recommended as The Metal Zone drains batteries (9V)fairly quickly and will cost you an additional 15-20 bucks.
Durability: As with all BOSS pedals they are made to take a beating. After many drops, stomps and spills my Metal Zone, while beat up looking functions perfectly.
Sound: With a name like The Metal Zone, this pedal excels for heavy metal guitar but isn’t bad for smoother blues like or grunge distortion. It features dual circuit gain and a 4 band equalizer including, high, low, mid and, mid frequency as well as controls for volume and distortion. The equalizer allows the user to tweak their sound pretty precisely, finding the distortion that they prefer.
Pros: Affordability, ease of use, durability, tone.
Cons: It takes a while to find that “sweet spot” but when you do, sounds great. Lacks in the mids department, and sometimes has trouble cutting through in a live setting.
Overall I would recommend this pedal to any hard rock or metal guitarist. I have used mine for applications such as recording and playing live shows. It’s a workhorse and as mentioned, affordable and durable. The MT-2 Metal Zone is a great distortion pedal for beginners and pros alike. It is by no means top of the line but provides dependability and is fairly versatile for the price. Great for thrash, death, and black metal, hardcore, or metalcore. Not recommended for alternative or punk music. If you’re looking for aggressive sound this is the pedal for you. I would also like to stress the durability of the Metal Zone. I have owned mine for going on 4 years now and it has never failed me and has taken a fair amount of abuse and wear. It sounds great for palm muting and speed picking but sort of lacks in the soloing and finger tapping department. If you are into bands such as Pantera, Fear Factory, Metallica, or Lamb Of God and are trying for that sound then the Metal Zone should satisfy. Guitarists such as Dimebag, Darrell, James Hetfield, Dave Mustaine and Scott Ian are easily identified by their signature tone. This is a good pedal for basic distortion but is not all that you want to have in your arsenal if you’re a serious player. Experiment, tweak and mix it up to find your own sound.