Orange: Dark Terror

Greetings, guitar minions. Welcome to the dark territory where doom & gloom prevails. Other tone considerations are discussed elsewhere. Let's get to the matter immediately.

Construction/ Fit/ Features.    

Orange's Dark Terror is a variant of its highly successful Tiny Terror model. That 'terror' label invokes images of foreboding overdrive but the Tiny Terror in its default form is more a menace than a terror outfit. This is the reason why the manufacturer ventured into darker territories with the Dark Terror (DT). The amp (head) manifests a no-frills construction & every joint, screw & nut were well in place so an issue of shoddiness is not a subject here. The amp handle, in my opinion, would benefit from a folding design so it could be tucked away nicely once the amp is put in place. The covering feature enough ventilation slots for heat to escape because in operation, things get rather too hot to handle & a healthy heat dissipation would ensure equipment longevity in this case. 

The DT is a single channel amp. Clean tones are virtually non-existent. This is a very singular offering because the amp offers nothing else to the player but terror distortion. Tone shaping is also limited by the 'SHAPE' control, you can indirectly sculpt your tone via the volume & gain options as well. In fact, a wattage change would also result in some tonal differences. Over at the rear, the DT offers a loop feature so your non-drive type pedals are best hooked up here.

Tone

There is no other objective of purchasing this amp than to embrace drive intensity. The DT has plenty to offer but cleans- you have to significantly lower your guitar volume plus the amp's gain & maybe not hit your strings too hard. An instant clean gratification is unavailable here. It is only an issue if you are confused as to what the DT is about to begin with. With that said, you would have been looking at other amps with a dedicated clean section. 

In lieu of the absent EQ controls, the SHAPE feature offers the player some tone shaping indeed but it's limited to the preset tweaks. You get a bass-inclined tone, some scooped midrange alternative & an accentuated top end once you fully turned the knob clockwise. As mentioned, the gain & volume play a role in some tone shaping. The gain is by far a rather straightforward shaping feature but limiting it towards nought does not give you a clean output. The volume control somehow accentuates top end fizz once dialled up. This is more pronounced at the higher wattage selection.

The DT is excellent with a 6-string guitar. It sounds fuzzy with lower notes pumped into it, you might want to re-consider matching this with your 8-string guitar. With that said, one can get some of the best doom fuzz with this amp- Black Sabbath & beyond. But maybe not a good implement if you are going the way of Animals as Leaders. Neck pickups aren't quite clearly heard at higher gain levels but the bridge pickup thrives in any (dare I say 'all') settings. The DT simply loves active pickups. Enough said.

Conclusion

What is the DT all about? It's anger manifestation. Lots of it. But that anger sounds too familiar. It sounds dangerously close to a certain other British brand name which is arguably more identifiable  than this DT shriek. I would say that the DT is treading on dangerous grounds. I would personally embrace the Tiny Terror as a more fitting Orange tone representative than the DT but we are dealing with a vast gain difference between these two amps. If you are into lots of angry drive with no regrets of not having cleans on board, this is highly recommended.

Rating: 75%

Sale: $755 $519 (Yamaha 50th Anniversary Sale)