When Caroline released the original Wave Cannon, the pedal world took notice. Nothing else was like it, a raw-but-sweet fuzz/distortion that sounded incredible. At some point, production dried up, but it was only because something insidious lurked on the horizon—the MKII.

The Wave Cannon MKII is a notable upgrade to an already-great circuit. Not content to tweak one value and call it a second iteration, Caroline performed a complete overhaul of the Wave Cannon. The distortion level is immense; there is much more on tap than the previous version. This pedal and this alone will push your amp into Pompeii meltdown in seconds.

Thankfully, the cool-as-ice Havoc switch has been moved to a footswitch, like the limited-run Cannonball. Now, players can send the pedal into panic mode by foot, instead of bending down and flicking a toggle switch. The switch is momentary, so players can make the pedal scream in agony for as little or as long as he or she desires.

Can the Wave Cannon do doom? Of course. The new Rumble switch increases the amount of bass in the circuit, and combining the switch with maximum gain may lead you to install new windows in your house or practice space. It’s that powerful, no joke.