Left Hand Path distortion and reverb plugin interface by What's This Button Do?

What's This Button Do?·DistortionFree trial

Left Hand Path: Distortion and Reverb Plugin for Black Metal Tones Free Download

Rated 5.0/5 on Plugin Boutique (9 ratings)

Left Hand Path is a distortion and reverb effects plugin from What's This Button Do? for recreating the dark, bleak atmospheres of first and second wave black metal. It is available in VST3, VST2, AU and AAX formats.

VST3VST2AUAAXWindowsmacOS64-bit

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Free trial available from the developer

01Overview

Left Hand Path focuses on one sound: the raw, atmospheric character of early black metal and noise rock. The developer built its drive section to follow period-correct designs and based its reverb on original early digital hardware units from 1984 to 1994. The result is a distortion and reverb effect aimed at metal, noise and noise rock producers who want vintage-style tones rather than a modern, polished sound. It runs on Windows and macOS as a 64-bit plugin.

Best for

Black metal guitars
Raw noise rock tones
Atmospheric vocal reverb
Lo-fi metal production
Dark ambient noise
Vintage digital reverb

Developer: What's This Button Do?
Category: Distortion
Store: Plugin Boutique

02Key features

What you get

Designed to recreate dark, bleak first and second wave black metal atmospheres
Period-correct drive section for authentic distortion character
Original digital reverb units from 1984 to 1994 as the reverb basis
Delivers raw, atmospheric tones with vintage reverb and distortion
Built for metal, noise and noise rock production
Available in VST3, VST2, AU and AAX formats
64-bit plugin for Windows and macOS
Trial version available

03In depth

Sound Character: Period-Correct Drive and Vintage Reverb

The plugin combines a drive section modeled on period-correct designs with digital reverb units from 1984 to 1994. The developer says this pairing is meant to capture the essence and power of early black metal and noise rock.

The focus is on raw, atmospheric tones. Distortion gives the sound its grit, and the reverb adds the space and haze associated with the genre. Because the effect is built around a specific era and style, it suits producers aiming for that reference rather than a general-purpose effect.

Who Left Hand Path Is For

Left Hand Path is designed for metal artists working in the first and second wave black metal style, as well as noise and noise rock musicians. Its purpose is to recreate dark, bleak atmospheres, so it fits best in projects where that sound is the goal.

It is available in VST3, VST2, AU and AAX formats. A trial version is offered, so you can test it in your own session before deciding whether it fits your sound.

04Specs

Will it run?

Formats, systems and requirements as listed by Plugin Boutique. Missing details are left out, not guessed.

Developer	What's This Button Do?
Type	Plugin
Category	Distortion
Formats	VST3, VST2, AU, AAX
Operating systems	Windows, macOS
Architecture	64-bit
Free trial	Yes

05FAQ

Questions, answered

What is Left Hand Path used for?

Left Hand Path is used for recreating the dark, bleak atmospheres of first and second wave black metal. The developer also positions it for noise and noise rock artists who want raw, atmospheric distortion and vintage-style reverb.

Which formats and operating systems does Left Hand Path support?

Left Hand Path is available in VST3, VST2, AU and AAX formats. It runs on Windows and macOS as a 64-bit plugin. On macOS it supports Intel and Apple Silicon (Arm) processors with macOS 10.11 or later, and on Windows it requires Windows 10 or later.