Guitar Journal: Metallica Life Burns Faster & More
Plus, limited run boutique overdrive and high-gain humbuckers
3,0 / 5,0 | 
This week, we look at the news that Metallica is heading to the Las Vegas Sphere this October for “Life Burns Faster” live dates. Then we look at the new limited-run Galvinium Overdrive from Red Witch pedals in New Zealand. Next up, we check out the new Lollar Monolith Humbucker, something new for the boutique high-gain fans out there.
Guitar Journal
Life Burns Faster
Everyone I know was excited by the news announced at the end of last week that Metallica would play the Las Vegas Sphere, which followed months of rumors and speculation about the event.
The thrash metal legends announced an exclusive eight-show residency titled “Life Burns Faster,” promising to merge their legendary high-energy performance with the venue’s world-class immersive technology. For me, they are the perfect act for this new-style of venue, and if anyone can pull it off, you know it will be them.
Las Vegas Sphere
Staying true to the tradition started during their M72 World Tour, Metallica will ensure no two nights are the same. Each show features a unique setlist with zero repeated songs. I suspect that this could be one of the gigs of the year for many metaheads and certainly for any Metallica fans
The residency will utilise the Sphere’s 16K resolution LED screen and 4D sensory technology to create a “wholly unique” experience. Metallica already uses Fractal and Axe FX III virtual rigs live, so they are perfect for this type of venue.
I think this modern venue, combined with an act like Metallica, will be an experience many guitarists will want to see and hear. All we need now is for Tool to officially announce some live dates at Sphere, and 2026 will be complete.
Tickets and more details are available from the band’s official website. I can’t wait to see what they do at this venue, as these gigs are going to be pretty epic!
Galvinium Overdrive
Anyone who is a frequent reader will know that I am a huge fan of Red Witch pedals, and at the end of last week, they announced a new limited run of the Galvinium Overdrive. Limited to only 79 units worldwide, these are a bit special, and each one is unique.
Simple Controls
Galvinium offers a refined yet super-easy-to-use set of controls designed to shape your tone with precision.
The Overdrive knob adjusts the level of grit, while the Presence control manages the upper-midrange cut to help you sit perfectly in a mix. For the foundation of your sound, the Body control dictates low-end fullness and girth. The Output dial manages the overall volume, leveraging a massive 30V of internal headroom to easily push a tube amplifier into natural clipping.
Finally, an Internal Trimmer provides the ultimate customisation, allowing you to pre-set the high-end roll-off point to perfectly match your rig’s specific characteristics.
Boutique Overdrive
The Galvinium isn’t your average dirt box. While 90% of drive pedals rely on standard TL072 or JRC4558 chips, Red Witch has built theirs around the Burr Brown OPA2134 op-amp. Typically found in high-end mixing consoles and studio outboard gear, this chip is legendary for its “sweet,” transparent character and audiophile-grade fidelity.
With robust through-hole construction and ultra-long-life footswitches and premium WIMA capacitors in critical signal-path positions, these overdrives are a huge step above many mass-produced pedals. They aren’t cheap, but you are getting something unique, and so if you like high-end effects and overdrive pedals, they could be just what you are looking for.
MSRP – $599 each, including delivery and taxes
Monolith Humbucker
Lollar Pickups really need no introduction, as their reputation precedes them in the boutique world of vintage-flavoured guitar pickups. However, these new humbuckers aren’t what I would usually associate with them as a boutique pickup winder.
High Output
Their new Monolith Humbucker is aimed at players seeking high-gain, high-output humbuckers, so it’s a little different from their usual vintage-correct, low-wind pickups.
AlNiCo 8
These humbucking pickups use AlNiCo 8 magnets to avoid boxy voicings or brittle, piercing highs.
The bridge pickup delivers what Lollar describes as a midrange-forward punch rich in harmonics and fundamental clarity, providing just the right touch of compression to ensure palm mutes hit with a satisfying, percussive grunt.
In keeping with the Lollar philosophy, the neck position remains open and clear. It is perfectly calibrated to match the bridge, offering a prominent, vocal midrange that breathes life into fluid leads and sparkling clean passages alike.
They are available in both 6-string (with an optional F-spaced bridge-position pickup) and 7-string sets, starting from $190 and $200, respectively.
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