The TC Electronic Fangs Metal Distortion is a TC Electronic distortion pedal, currently around $33.90. Close alternatives include the Joyo dark flame and the Black Arts Toneworks Dual Revelation Custom. It pairs well with the Roland Cube Street and the Mesa Boogie Mark I.
TC Electronic Fangs Metal Distortion
TC Electronic · pedal
The TC Electronic Fangs Metal Distortion is a compact, affordable distortion pedal built to deliver serious high-gain tone, covering everything from tight, syncopated thrash riffing to slow, drone-heavy doom and sludge metal. Gain, Volume, Bass, and Treble controls handle the basics, while a mid-frequency selector switch with Raw, Fat, and Scoop settings shapes the pedal's core character across the spectrum of biting metal tones. Reviewers note the gain response is unusually open and liquid for a budget metal distortion, with a gain knob sweep that stays musical and usable across its full range rather than jumping straight to extreme saturation.
What stands out
“The TC Electronic Fangs Metal Distortion is a compact, affordable distortion pedal built to deliver serious high-gain tone, covering everything from tight, syncopated thrash riffing to slow, drone-heavy doom and sludge metal”
— from the listing
“Reviewers note the gain response is unusually open and liquid for a budget metal distortion, with a gain knob sweep that stays musical and usable across its full range”
— from the listing
“Gain, Volume, Bass, and Treble controls handle the basics, while a mid-frequency selector switch with Raw, Fat, and Scoop settings shapes the pedal's core character across the spectrum of biting metal tones”
— from the listing
“Covers a wide stylistic range from tight thrash to slow doom/sludge tones convincingly”
— from the reviews
“Mid-frequency selector is the pedal's defining feature, giving three distinct usable voicings (Raw, Fat, Scoop)”
— from the reviews
- thrash
- distortion
- sludge
- raw
- fat
- doom
- mid
- frequency
Price updated Oct 24, 2026
Genres the TC Electronic Fangs Metal Distortion is commonly used in
- Electronic
- Metal
- Heavy Metal
cited
Inferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag. - Thrash Metal
cited
Inferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag. - Stoner Rock
cited
Inferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag. - Doom Metal
cited
Inferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag.
Amps that pair well with the TC Electronic Fangs Metal Distortion
Roland Cube Street
Roland
27% matchfills a frequency gapFills in a frequency range the other side doesn't cover, instead of piling more onto what's already there. (scooped → mid-forward)
Roland Cube Street pushes a scooped tone toward mid-forward
Comes later in the signal chain
Mesa Boogie Mark I
Mesa Boogie
27% matchfills a frequency gapFills in a frequency range the other side doesn't cover, instead of piling more onto what's already there. (scooped → mid-forward)
Feed a scooped signal into Mesa Boogie Mark I and it comes out closer to mid-forward
Comes later in the signal chain
Roland Cube Street EX
Roland
tonal matchComes later in the signal chain
Feed a scooped signal into Roland Cube Street EX and it comes out closer to mid-forward
Gallien-Krueger GK Legacy 4x10 Bass Combo Amp
Gallien Krueger
tonal matchComes later in the signal chain
Stack Gallien-Krueger GK Legacy 4x10 Bass Combo Amp on top and a scooped tone tightens toward mid-forward
Ceriatone HRM 50
Ceriatone
tonal matchComes later in the signal chain
Ceriatone HRM 50 pushes a scooped tone toward mid-forward
Ampeg V-4
Ampeg
tonal matchComes later in the signal chain
Stack Ampeg V-4 on top and a scooped tone tightens toward mid-forward
Phil Jones BG-400 Suitcase Compact Bass Combo
Phil Jones
tonal matchComes later in the signal chain
Feed a scooped signal into Phil Jones BG-400 Suitcase Compact Bass Combo and it comes out closer to mid-forward
Ceriatone Overtone Special HRM Bluesmaster 50
Ceriatone
tonal matchComes later in the signal chain
Ceriatone Overtone Special HRM Bluesmaster 50 takes that scooped character and pushes it toward mid-forward
Pedals that stack with the TC Electronic Fangs Metal Distortion
Cusack Music Screamer
Cusack Music
24% matchfills a frequency gapFills in a frequency range the other side doesn't cover, instead of piling more onto what's already there. (scooped → mid-forward)
Stack Cusack Music Screamer on top and a scooped tone tightens toward mid-forward
Comes earlier in the signal chain
Browne Amplification Gritador
Browne Amplification
24% matchfills a frequency gapFills in a frequency range the other side doesn't cover, instead of piling more onto what's already there. (scooped → mid-forward)
Stack Browne Amplification Gritador on top and a scooped tone tightens toward mid-forward
Comes earlier in the signal chain
Orange Series Phaser
Orange
20% matchsits in the right chain slotPlaced for where it does its job cleanly in the chain, not for a tonal interaction with the anchor.
Run Orange Series Phaser after TC Electronic Fangs Metal Distortion in the signal chain, clear of TC Electronic Fangs Metal Distortion's own gain stage
Comes later in the signal chain
Pigtronix Philosopher's Tone Micro
Pigtronix
19% matchfills a frequency gapFills in a frequency range the other side doesn't cover, instead of piling more onto what's already there. (scooped → mid-forward)
Pigtronix Philosopher's Tone Micro's own mid-forward character is the real reason this is worth trying
Comes earlier in the signal chain
MXR Analog Delay
MXR
12% matchsits in the right chain slotPlaced for where it does its job cleanly in the chain, not for a tonal interaction with the anchor.
Run MXR Analog Delay after TC Electronic Fangs Metal Distortion in the signal chain, clear of TC Electronic Fangs Metal Distortion's own gain stage — goes in the amp's FX loop (or last, into a clean amp)
Comes later in the signal chain
Universal Audio Golden Reverberator
Universal Audio
11% matchsits in the right chain slotPlaced for where it does its job cleanly in the chain, not for a tonal interaction with the anchor.
Keep TC Electronic Fangs Metal Distortion's gritty voice out front: Universal Audio Golden Reverberator goes after TC Electronic Fangs Metal Distortion in the signal chain so its spring voice doesn't muddy it — goes in the amp's FX loop (or last, into a clean amp)
Comes later in the signal chain
Behringer TO800 Vintage Tube Overdrive
Behringer
tonal matchComes earlier in the signal chain
Behringer TO800 Vintage Tube Overdrive takes that scooped character and pushes it toward mid-forward
Mooer Demonfx TS Green
Mooer
tonal matchComes earlier in the signal chain
Mooer Demonfx TS Green pushes a scooped tone toward mid-forward
Boutique & premium upgrades
DSM & Humboldt Electronics Black Clouds
Dsm Humboldt Electronics
60% similarityShared character: gain, distortion, high gain settings
EarthQuaker Devices EarthQuacker Devices "Acapulco Gold Limited V2
EarthQuaker Devices
59% similarityShared character: volume, raw, middle
Fuzzrocious Dark Driving
Fuzzrocious
57% similarityShared character: bass, response
Menatone None More Black
Menatone
56% similarityShared character: fat, metal, distortion
Greer Amps Gorilla Warfare MkII
Greer
56% similarityShared character: distortion, high gain settings
EarthQuaker Devices Acapulco Gold
EarthQuaker Devices
56% similarityShared character: raw, gain, distortion
Similar character
See all alternatives to the TC Electronic Fangs Metal Distortion (cheaper + boutique) →
Questions people ask
What are good alternatives to the TC Electronic Fangs Metal Distortion?+
The closest matches in character are the Joyo dark flame, the Black Arts Toneworks Dual Revelation Custom, the Joyo Uzi Distortion. Boutique upgrades: DSM & Humboldt Electronics Black Clouds, EarthQuaker Devices EarthQuacker Devices "Acapulco Gold Limited V2, Fuzzrocious Dark Driving.
What pairs well with the TC Electronic Fangs Metal Distortion?+
Strong matches from rig and tone-complementarity evidence: Roland Cube Street, Mesa Boogie Mark I, Roland Cube Street EX — Roland Cube Street pushes a scooped tone toward mid-forward.
How much does the TC Electronic Fangs Metal Distortion cost?+
Around $33.90 (live listing price, updated Oct 24, 2026).