Two very different takes on extreme Boss distortion. The Metal Zone is a high-gain, scooped, EQ-loaded modern metal box; the HM-2 is the cult "Swedish chainsaw" — all knobs up — behind an entire genre of death metal.
| Boss Metal Zone (MT-2) | Boss HM-2 | |
|---|---|---|
| Voice | Modern, scooped, very high gain with a powerful 3-band EQ (incl. sweepable mids). | Buzzsaw, mid-heavy, raw — the infamous "chainsaw" grind. |
| EQ control | Huge: dual-mid sweep plus bass/treble — hugely shapeable (and easy to dial badly). | Just two tone knobs (Low/High) — simple, and best "all on full". |
| Famous for | Nu-metal, bedroom metal, a polarising but iconic box. | Entombed, Dismember — the entire Swedish death-metal sound. |
| Gain | Enormous, tight, compressed. | Huge but rawer and fuzzier, less tight. |
| Best use | Scooped modern metal, or tubular leads if you tame the EQ. | Old-school death/d-beat buzzsaw — usually all knobs maxed. |