The KHDK LCFR is a high-gain overdrive/boost pedal built by KHDK in collaboration with Nergal of Behemoth. It was designed as a front end for a high-gain amp: MusicRadar reported that the sound in Nergal's mind was "an overdrive for his high-gain amp to tighten his tone and make his sound aggressive and radical"1. The pedal was used in the studio on Behemoth's follow-up to I Loved You At Your Darkest, and KHDK describes the LCFR tone as one of the key components of the signature Behemoth tone12.
The name is a reference to Lucifer, and the pedal leans into it: KHDK's page for the later Various Colors edition calls it "an overdrive/booster for your aggressive, demonic high-gain sound"3. The original run was limited to 333 pieces and is now sold out2.
What the LCFR does
The LCFR sits in the long metal tradition of pushing an already distorted amp harder: an overdrive in front of a high-gain amp tightens the low end and sharpens the attack rather than supplying the distortion itself. GuitarPCB's build document for its LCFR-based PCB describes the pedal as "a high-gain overdrive/boost designed with metal precision" that "delivers soaring lead tones or tight rhythm crunch with stellar clarity"4.
KHDK has not published the circuit behind it. Gearnews noted at launch that "KHDK Electronics are keeping quiet about the exact circuit"7. What is known is that the circuit was designed by KHDK's Antonin Salva1.
The pedal's visual design matches the band it was built for. MusicRadar described an enclosure in matt black with silkscreened wings and bronze detail, designed with Behemoth's in-house designer Bartek1; Guitar World described it as a black-and-bronze chassis with Behemoth's inverted triple-cross logo and a pair of wings silk-screened on the front face5. Each piece came with a unique Certificate of Authenticity, numbered and signed by Nergal2.
The controls
The control layout is deliberately simple: four knobs and a footswitch.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Gain | Sets the amount of drive1 |
| Volume | Sets the output level1 |
| Bass | Low-end shaping1 |
| Treble | High-end shaping1 |
| Footswitch | Engages or bypasses the effect1 |
Guitar World called it "a simplistic control layout with Volume, Gain, Treble and Bass knobs and an on/off footswitch"5, and the pedal uses true bypass, so the bypassed signal skips the circuit entirely7.
The DIY build document published by GuitarPCB in November 2025 covers the same four controls, saying they "let you dial in everything from aggressive saturation to refined drive"4.
History and versions: 333 pieces and The Second Coming
The LCFR was a limited run of 333 pieces, made in the EU, with shipping starting on Easter weekend2. Each piece was silkscreened, handmade and guitar tested in the EU, and came with a unique Certificate of Authenticity numbered and signed by Nergal2. The pedal is now listed as sold out on KHDK's site6.
The LCFR followed a pattern KHDK had already established with limited signature runs for other metal players, including the KHDK SGT D boost/preamp for Scott Ian and the KHDK In Waves by Trivium clean boost.
LCFR: Various Colors
After the original sold out, KHDK released the LCFR: Various Colors edition, described as "ultra limited, final colors" and listed at $269.993. It is also out of stock3. Every pedal in this edition is assembled, hand-printed and guitar-tested in Prague3.
LCFR: The Second Coming
In December 2022 KHDK announced KHDK LCFR: The Second Coming, a twist on the original that adds a mids control, marked "Sulfur" on the pedal, for what KHDK calls "yet more aggressive force"83. Nergal described the intent in his own words:
"I wanted KHDK to create LCFR: The Second Coming as a more brutal version of the first and KHDK made it more diabolic than ever"8
The Second Coming arrived in a White Chocolate enclosure with a pair of amber lights that glow when the pedal is active, hand-made in Prague, and like the original it was limited to 333 units, each with a signed COA from Nergal8. It was priced at $249 and available for preorder at announcement, with shipping by the end of 20228. It runs on a pedalboard power supply at 9 or 18v, with the higher voltage giving more clean headroom8.
| Version | Edition size | Price | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| LCFR (2021) | 333 pieces | $249.9927 | Sold out2 |
| LCFR: Various Colors | Ultra limited | $269.993 | Out of stock3 |
| LCFR: The Second Coming (2022) | 333 units | $2498 | Announced for preorder8 |
The DIY circuit
Players who want to build rather than buy have an unusual option. In November 2025, GuitarPCB published a free bonus PCB based on the KHDK LCFR as a DIY build project, with the same Gain, Volume, Bass and Treble control set4. A matching PCB is also sold by PedalPCB9. These are third-party projects, not KHDK products, but they are the closest thing to published documentation of the circuit, since KHDK itself has kept quiet about the design7.
Videos
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Scott Bynoe
Kyle Bull
Questions
Is the KHDK LCFR true bypass?
Yes. The original LCFR uses a true-bypass on/off footswitch, so with the effect disengaged the signal passes through without the circuit in the path. The follow-up, LCFR: The Second Coming, is also true bypass.
What circuit is the KHDK LCFR based on?
KHDK has not disclosed the exact circuit behind the LCFR. The design is credited to KHDK's Antonin Salva. A free bonus PCB based on the pedal was later published by GuitarPCB as a DIY build project with Gain, Volume, Bass and Treble controls.
How much did the KHDK LCFR cost?
The original LCFR listed at $249.99, with press coverage at launch quoting a $250 RRP. The later Various Colors edition listed at $269.99, and LCFR: The Second Coming was priced at $249 when it was announced for preorder in December 2022.
Is the KHDK LCFR still available?
No. KHDK's product page lists the LCFR as sold out, and the ultra-limited Various Colors edition is out of stock as well. The pedal was limited to 333 numbered pieces, each with a Certificate of Authenticity signed by Nergal.
Is the KHDK LCFR: The Second Coming true bypass?
Yes. MusicRadar's coverage of LCFR: The Second Coming states that it is true bypass, matching the original LCFR's true-bypass switching.
How many Second Coming pedals were made?
Like the original, LCFR: The Second Coming was limited to 333 units. Each one came with a signed certificate of authenticity from Nergal, and the pedal was hand-made in Prague.
Sources (9)
- KHDK Electronics dials LCFR for Lucifer as it unveils a signature overdrive/boost pedal for Behemoth's Nergal, MusicRadar, 2021-03-26
- LCFR | KHDK Electronics, KHDK Electronics
- LCFR: Various colors, KHDK Electronics
- Kirk-Hammett-KHDL-LCFR-Build-Document.pdf, GuitarPCB.com, 2025-11
- KHDK Electronics joins forces with Behemoth's Nergal for LCFR overdrive/boost pedal, Guitar World, 2021-03-26
- In Waves Trivium limited clean boost pedal by KHDK, KHDK Electronics
- Behemoth's Nergal gets a new signature KHDK Electronics LCFR overdrive/boost pedal, gearnews.com, 2021-03-26
- KHDK and Behemoth's Nergal announce LCFR: The Second Coming, promising a “more brutal” take on the his signature high-gain overdrive/boost pedal, MusicRadar, 2022-12-13
- Revel Overdrive, PedalPCB.com
