"Cool" is a funny old concept isn't it? Who decides what's cool? No one, right? Did somebody have to explain to you that, the first time you clapped eyes on a '66 Fastback Mustang, it was cool? No, you just knew. Much like how you just knew that Tony and his mates from Sabbath were as cool as they come, all long hair and heavy riffs for days.
So where are we going with this? Well rather predictably ( if you read the title of this piece ) in the direction of Frost Giant Electronics. A pedal builder that is so cool, you'll never have to explain why to any of your six string slinger friends. Just take their website. You'd be forgiven for guessing it could be found by typing in something predictable like, www.frostgiantelectronics.com into your address bar. No, not Frost Giant, they're too cool for that. Their web address is www.fuzzworship.com. Mic well and truly dropped...
Founded by Eric Calvert in depths of Texas ( his words ), Frost Giant set out with a singular goal; to simply make the heaviest fuzz and distortion pedals ever. No pressure then!
Heres the thing though about Eric's outlandish mission statement for his company... We firmly believe that he's only gone and done it. Whether it's the one knobbed "Massif" fuzz or the infinitely tweakable Athos, all Frost Giant pedals sound earth shatteringly gargantuan. So let's dive into the range shall we?
The aforementioned Massif Fuzz is a bit of a Pedalboarders favourite. We don't think there is a better one knob fuzz in the game. There, we said it. Seriously though, somehow this little box of hate works with every guitar and amp combination we've thrown at it. Always sounding thick and aggressive no matter the scenario. We recommend turning it up full and standing well back.
If you do fancy a little more control than the Soma Fuzz picks things up where the Massif left them. Essentially a Massif with more controls, the recently revamped Soma adds controllable mids and a bias control for when you want sprinkle a generous dose of "crazy" over your guitar tone. The Soma V2 might be the definitive one stop fuzz pedal for the stoner/doom generation. Big words but an even bigger sound.
Speaking of big sounds, the brand new Architects Of Reality preamp pedal is Eric's take on the famous Laney AOR heads of the 80s. These amps have been used on some of the most influential doom and stoner metal records ever and their aggressive tonality is perfectly captured in the Architects of Reality pedal. Crank up the AOR channel, pack another bowl and get ready to be put to "Sleep".
The Mountain is for the RAT lovers amongst us who want, guess what? More! More gain, more lows, more volume, more everything. True to his word, Eric has taken the classic RAT sound, fed it more performance enhancing drugs than a Russian gymnast and let it loose on the riff loving public. If you couldn't tell, we love it. Lots.
Thrash heads will love what a Frost Giant Electronics Athos can do to even the smallest of combo amps. This is a distortion pedal that really lets you fine tune not only the overall tone but the "feel" of the distortion on tap. The inclusion of a "boost" control in particular can imitate that unique feeling of an already filthy amplifier getting abused by a boost pedal. It's truly addictive stuff.
Finally the Surya. This is arguably the fuzz pedal for players who don't like fuzz. Its so down right playable and the "focus" knob allows you to dial in the response of the low end exactly how you like it. Big and bloomy or tight and punchy like almost no other fuzz is. It's also sparkly red which is worth at least another 3 cool points.
Whichever of the Frost Giant Electronics range you try, you can be sure of two things. Firstly, that it'll be one of the most instantly pleasing heavy tones you've come across in recent memory and secondly that everyone else in the room will want to know what that "really cool pedal" on your board is!?
Ten out of ten Eric. You've absolutely nailed it.
See you all soon!
Lou
