Misfits don’t do boring album covers, and neither, it turns out, do they do boring guitar pedals.
To celebrate 40 years of the Glenn Danzig-fronted Earth A.D./Wolfs Blood album – the band’s second overall – the punk mainstays have teamed up with Prague pedal makers Distortion Inc for a limited edition Earth AD overdrive pedal that promises to deliver the tonal essence of the record in a stompbox.
The band says the pedal “pays homage to the groundbreaking album” while also faithfully emulating “the distinct sound that defined an era of punk rock.”
The Misfits team “embarked on a meticulous journey to recreate the sonic essence and rebellion of the album.” That meant delving deep into the now-vintage gear that was used during the album’s recording sessions, making it a like-for-like recreation, as opposed to a modern rehash.
Cascading around the pedal's gruesome, full-frontal album art are controls for volume, drive, treble, bass, and ripping, with the latter allowing players to dial in a deep growl.
In true haunted house style, there's more than meets the eye. A secret internal switch gives users access to two playing modes. The first is called ‘loud and bright’, and is characterized by its clear, singing tone for when high clarity and presence are required.
The second offers the tonal opposite of ‘warm and subdued’ for a tailored, vintage, and mellowed tone.
Each unit is meticulously crafted and comes with a signed 40th-anniversary certificate of authenticity, with the Misfits’ signature skull logo printed on its base.
Released in December 1983, Earth AD was the final Misfits album to be recorded with gothfather Glenn Danzig. Featuring classics like Die, Die My Darling and Green Hell – which were both later covered by Metallica on Garage Inc – as well as the polite yet murderous Mommy, Can I Go Out and Kill Tonight?, the record helped transform the band into the household name they are today.
Based in the Czech capital, Distortion Inc has a history of collaborating with bands for signature pedal creations. It's worked with Mastodon's Brent Hinds on the fantastically named Dirty B Hinds Octadon pedal and Wes Borland for the Zaragon reverb.
Last year, it also worked with the Hawkins brothers for a Permission to Land pedal. Like the Earth AD build, it offers the record's tonal personality in a pedalboard-ready stompbox.
The pedal is available to pre-order now for $249.99. At the time of writing, no set shipping date has been listed.
For more information and pre-orders, head to Misfits.com.
