Sabbath Black Gaze
The Phantom FX Sabbath Black Gaze is a boutique, handcrafted fuzz and distortion pedal from Japan, designed by Kenji Todaka of ART-SCHOOL and MONOEYES. This 2020 "brushed-up" version evolves from the original 2008 Sabbath model, specifically engineered to merge heavy, intense distortion with the swirling textures of shoegaze. The name "Black Gaze" is a portmanteau of "Black Metal" and "Shoegaze," reflecting its aggressive yet atmospheric sonic concept. The pedal features a minimalist one-knob interface and a robust vertical chassis made of iron and aluminum. Technically, it is distinguished by a transformer-based pickup simulation circuit at the input, which maintains constant impedance to ensure the pedal delivers its signature sound regardless of its placement in a signal chain. Internally, the circuit uses premium point-to-point wiring with vintage NOS components and a treble adjustment trimmer. It is highly regarded for its fast touch response and its ability to function as a powerful, user-friendly high-gain distortion.