You know how, when you compress a gas, it actually gets hotter? We're guessing so semblance of that property is at work in the Blackstar Amplification HT Studio 20. This all-tube, 20-watt, two-channel combo amp is capable of some of the most brutal hard rock tones you've ever tracked in your bedroom.

To prove that claim more than a lot of hot air, Owen cracks up the HT Studio 20 in front of a Golden Age R1 ribbon mic, dimes a Fender Telecaster, and plays nary a non-palm-muted note in this video demonstration. Pay especially close attention to the ISF control and its effect upon the amp's overdiven tone. This is one versatile amp.