The LICHTLÆRM Audio Medusa is a Swedish Death Metal distortion from LICHTLÆRM Audio, built as the maker's take on the Boss HM-2 Heavy Metal formula that underpins the classic Swedish death metal sound. Guitar Pedal X describes it as Lichtlaerm's answer to "the unique HM-2 Death Metal trope", and lists it among the best compact high-gain and heavy metal pedals in its annual selections.1
What it does
The Medusa takes the HM-2 approach, where scooped mids and heavily clipped bands produce that grinding chainsaw character, and extends it. LICHTLÆRM kept the traditional HM-2 EQ bands, named low and grind, but added a parallel mids control covering 200 to 700 Hz, so the midrange can be shaped independently of the classic scoop rather than simply cut.21
The pedal also carries LICHTLÆRM's well-known cut control, which shapes the low end and, in the maker's words, lets you "create punchy palm mutes".2 The maker describes the overall design as a 4-band EQ with parametric mids.3
Controls
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Low | Traditional HM-2 EQ band, kept from the original design2 |
| Grind | Traditional HM-2 EQ band, kept from the original design2 |
| Mid | Parallel mids control, 200 to 700 Hz, ±16 dB24 |
| Cut | Shapes the low end and creates punchy palm mutes2 |
| Presence | Highs shelving filter4 |
| Mode / Voicing | Modern (louder and more mids) or HM-2 Classic4 |
| FX Loop Blend | Blends the parallel effects loop4 |
| FX Loop Polarity | Switches the polarity of the loop4 |
The parallel FX loop
Unusually for a distortion pedal, the Medusa includes a send / return parallel FX loop with its own blend control and polarity switch.4 A parallel loop runs effects alongside the distortion instead of in series through it, and the polarity switch lets you correct phase relationships between the dry and effected signals.
Modern and Classic voicings
A mode switch selects between two voicings. HM-2 Classic follows the original pedal's character, while the Modern voicing, in Guitar Pedal X's words, "beefs things up quite a bit more - with more mids present, more output volume and aggression".4
What reviewers said
Guitar Pedal X, reviewing the pedal, placed it firmly at the top of the field: "This visceral grinding death metal distortion really is at the top of its game - with superior textures in every direction with copious amounts of low end and searing and cutting high end distortion tone."5 The same publication included the Medusa in its 2024 ultimate selection of compact high-gain metal distortion pedals, calling it a "Grinding Death Metal Distortion".6
LICHTLÆRM Audio also builds other high-gain pedals in the same house style, including the Gehenna heavy metal distortion and preamp, the Thorn and the Death Über Alles. The Medusa is the one that carries the HM-2 banner in the range.2
For more on the category, see the site's pages on Distortion Pedals and Preamp Pedals.
Videos
Science of Loud
Sonic Drive Studio
Keith Merrow
Questions
Is the Medusa based on the Boss HM-2?
Yes. LICHTLÆRM Audio describes the Medusa as a Swedish Death Metal distortion, and Guitar Pedal X calls it Lichtlaerm's take on the Boss HM-2 Heavy Metal trope. The pedal keeps the traditional HM-2 EQ bands, named low and grind, while adding a parallel mids control, a cut control for the low end and a Modern voicing alongside the HM-2 Classic mode.
What is the effects loop on the Medusa for?
The Medusa has a send and return parallel effects loop with an FX loop blend control and an FX loop polarity switch. A parallel loop lets you run time-based or other effects alongside the distortion rather than in series through it, and the polarity switch addresses phase relationships between the dry and effected paths.
Sources (6)
- Guitar Pedal X, Guitar Pedal X, 2024-05-17
- Death Metal Chainsaw Distortion, LICHTLÆRM AUDIO
- Lichtlaerm Audio, Lichtlaerm Audio
- Guitar Pedal X, Guitar Pedal X, 2024-05-24
- Guitar Pedal X, Guitar Pedal X, 2024-12-17
- Guitar Pedal X, Guitar Pedal X, 2024-06-19
